Sweet As Kandy
by britgirl2003
Summary: Kirsten and Sandy fic. These are some missing scenes from Season One that I would have liked to have seen. Chapter added for The Third Wheel.
1. The Girlfriend

**Disclaimer: I don't own The OC or any of its characters, etc.**

**This is my first attempt at writing an OC fanfic so please be gentle!!**

**I _love_ Kirsten and Sandy in the show, I think they're great. These are just a number of missing Kandy scenes from the first season, mostly to satisfy my own happiness!! And thanks to being stood up on a Saturday night, I've finally got round to writing them. So enjoy :)**

**The Girlfriend**

Later that night, Sandy found Kirsten in the kitchen. She was stood at the sink, the tap running over a mug that she held in her hand. Her eyes were vacant and her thoughts elsewhere, not paying attention to what she was doing as the water spilled over the brim of the cup and was swallowed down the plughole.

She looked sad, Sandy thought. He knew he was partly to blame. His over-enthusiasm for returning to their old life had left her full of doubt about the present one. The truth was, he _was_ happy. He had everything he had ever wanted here – a beautiful family; a job he loved; good surf every morning. So what if he had to put up with the constant drone of the Newpsies and their silly problems?

He walked over to his wife and turned off the tap, waking Kirsten from her daydream.

"You spoke to your dad?" Sandy asked. He had watched them talking earlier, making peace he hoped.

Kirsten nodded. "I still have my job, if that's what you're asking," she answered.

"Good," Sandy said, running his hand up and down her back.

Kirsten finally looked up at him, her eyebrows raised. "Really?" she asked tentatively.

Sandy rested his hands on Kirsten's hips, spinning her around to face him. "Really," he answered. He brought his hands up to her face. "I get how important your job is to you. I got carried away, I'm sorry."

Kirsten studied him. "Are you happy, Sandy? Honestly?"

"Oh, honey. Yes, I'm happy," Sandy said.

"I know this isn't the life we planned…" Kirsten started, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Kirsten…" Sandy tried to interrupt her.

"I'm not that person any more, Sandy. I don't have those dreams any more, I want different things," Kirsten continued to argue.

"I know. You were right, it was _our_ choice to stay here and I wouldn't change any part of my life," Sandy conceded. "Kirsten, I love you; I love being with you, it doesn't matter where in the country we are. Ok?"

Kirsten nodded. Sandy leant forward and kissed her, tightening his arms around her back.

"I love you," he repeated when their lips broke apart.

"I love you too," Kirsten said, smiling.

"I'm happy," Sandy said.

"I'm happy too," Kirsten said with a small laugh. She leant in towards him, resting her body against his and her head on his shoulder, sighing. "At least I can make someone happy."

"Your dad?" Sandy questioned.

"I'm never going to be enough for him, am I?" Kirsten asked rhetorically.

"He doesn't know how lucky he is," Sandy said softly.

Kirsten straightened up and smiled at him. "You're bias."

"Yeah, I am," Sandy said, drawing her in to his lips again.

Life was working out differently to how they had imagined twenty years ago; but life was good. They stood in kitchen, wrapped up in each other's arms…and Berkeley was a distant dream.


	2. The Best Chrismukkah Ever

**The Best Chrismukkah Ever**

Kirsten and Sandy came through the front door to see Seth and Ryan standing in front of the fireplace. They both turned as they entered the house.

"Hey," Kirsten greeted them.

"Alright, what'll it be?" Sandy asked. "Fiddler on the Roof, It's A Wonderful Life or, my selection, Sylvester Stallone's Over The Top?"

Seth raised his eyebrows. "Isn't that the arm-wrestling movie?"

"Arm-wrestling classic," Sandy responded, doing his best Sylvester Stallone imitation.

Kirsten leant against the pillar, watching in amusement as Seth rolled his eyes and shook his head mockingly.

"Oh hey, Merry Chrismukkah you guys," Seth said, walking over to his parents and handing them the leftover gifts that both Summer and Anna had rejected.

"Thank you," Kirsten said, accepting the gift.

"Oh wow," Sandy said, amused, playing with the present in his hands. Kirsten, meanwhile, remained focused on Ryan, who was hanging his stocking from the fireplace like the rest of the family. She smiled.

Ryan walked back towards them, and together they walked through to the kitchen towards the TV room.

Kirsten stopped to get some popcorn, while Seth and Ryan carried on into the TV room. She stood watching as Seth regaled some story to Ryan, who listened patiently and ducked at the right moments when Seth's over-the-top hand gestures threatened to collide with his head.

Sandy came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her temple. Kirsten closed her eyes and smiled as he did, and let out a small, happy sigh.

"Are you ok?" Sandy asked.

Kirsten nodded. "You were right, you know," she said, simply.

"About what?"

"About Ryan. About bringing him home," Kirsten answered, as she watched her two boys talking and laughing on the sofa. That one simple act of bringing Ryan home one Friday night had been the beginning of a change for all of them, and their family felt stronger than ever.

Sandy looked at his wife, realising at that moment why he loved her so much. She had trusted him when he had brought Ryan into the house; and she had been the one who had invited Ryan into the family when his mother had abandoned him.

"Chrismukkah's going to be good this year," Kirsten said, turning her head to smile at her husband.

Sandy kissed her softly until Seth's voice came floating into the kitchen.

"Hey guys, it's gone very quiet in there. Come on, it's the holidays, please don't ruin it with all the mushiness."

They broke apart and Kirsten rolled her eyes. She grabbed a bag of popcorn from the cupboard and poured it into a huge bowl, before following Sandy into the TV room and curling up next to him on the sofa. Ryan was sat in the chair, while Seth was sprawled across the floor.

Kirsten loved moments like these. She listened to her family's good-natured teasing as she cried at the end of It's A Wonderful Life; she rolled her eyes as Sandy sang along with the chorus during Fiddler on the Roof; and when Sandy insisted on making them all actually watch Sylvester Stallone flex his muscles to win his son back, she rested her head on his chest and fell asleep.

Sandy wrapped his arm around his wife as she slept next to him, running his fingers lightly over her skin. He could smell the scent of her shampoo as her head rose up and down on his chest as he breathed. He loved that smell, he always had; it was intoxicating. When the film ended, and both Seth and Ryan made their excuses to disappear, Sandy didn't move. He stayed wrapped up with his wife, flicking through the 500 channels until he found something worth watching.

Kirsten eventually stirred from her slumber. "Is it over?" she asked. "Did he win?"

Sandy laughed. "Yeah. He's Sylvester Stallone!"

Kirsten lifted her arms to stretch her body. Sandy used the opportunity to pull her up towards him. Kirsten smiled, reaching her head up and kissing him, sliding her arms around his waist. Sandy ran his hands over her back and their kiss started to become more passionate, until the sound of a cell phone interrupted them.

Sandy reached into his pocket and a guilty look washed over his face as he answered it.

"Hi, Rachel."

Kirsten rolled her eyes in amusement at him and sat up, sliding off the sofa and onto the floor where she began to tidy up the mess that had been made. She listened as Sandy spoke.

"Yeah, it's over. One dollar. It's a long story. Yeah. No. Thanks, you too. Bye."

Kirsten didn't speak. Sandy watched her as she picked up empty soda cans and put them into the empty popcorn bowl.

"She wanted to know what happened with the Heights," Sandy explained.

"Uh-huh." The tone of her voice told Sandy that she was trying to conceal a laugh and he was relieved. He knew how she felt about Rachel and he didn't want to revive those feelings in time for Chrismukkah.

Kirsten turned around, kneeling in front of him between his legs. She rested her hands on his knees and leant in towards him, resting against his body.

"She was pleased?" Kirsten asked.

"Yeah. It was a big case for the firm," Sandy said. "What about you? Are you ok with what happened?"

Kirsten shrugged. "I'm not exactly happy with the way my father behaved. But I'm glad it's over."

"Me too," Sandy smiled.

"Mostly, I'm just glad I got my family back for Chrismukkah," Kirsten said.

Sandy smiled at her as she inched forwards slowly, her face getting closer and closer to his.

"Me too."

Their lips met. Kirsten's ran her hands up Sandy's thighs and slipped them under his sweater. Sandy smiled through their kiss, his hands running through her hair. He let out a small moan as she ran her hands over his body. He copied her actions, running his hands down her back to find the bottom of her jumper and searching for skin. He found it and ran his hands up her back until he reached her bra strap. Kirsten pulled away, realising what he was about to do.

"Maybe we should go upstairs," she whispered.

Sandy grinned at her. "Will you put on your Chrismukkah stockings?"

Kirsten laughed. Years ago she had received a pair of novelty stockings from one of the Newpsies as a present. They were red and sparkly, with white fluff around the top. Kirsten hated them, but somehow, every year, Sandy managed to persuade her to wear them.

Kirsten's eyes were dancing. "I don't know. Have you been a good boy this year?"

"Oh, I've been a _very_ good boy," Sandy answered.

They kissed again, becoming so wrapped up in each other's touch and taste that they momentarily forgot where they were, until they heard Seth bounding down the stairs. Suddenly realising they were about to get caught, they let go of each other and Kirsten fell to the floor with a bump. Seth's face appeared around the corner, curious to find out what had caused the noise, and found his parents looking flushed and guilty. Kirsten's hair was uncharacteristically messy and Sandy's sweater had been pushed halfway up his body, exposing his stomach. He opened his mouth to say something, but when he suddenly realised what he had just walked in on he closed it again, a look of disgust spreading over his face.

"You know, I'm exhausted," Sandy said, standing up from the sofa and pulling Kirsten up at the same time. He frowned at her.

"Oh, yeah. Me too. So tired," Kirsten said, nodding at Sandy. "Night, Seth."

"Goodnight, son," Sandy said, grabbing Kirsten's hand and pulling her towards their bedroom.

Seth watched them, shaking his head as he heard his mother's distinct laugh float down the stairs.

"Eugh."


	3. The Heartbreak

**Thank you so much for the reviews – Cheryl, Ashlified, skipper, LDee, Christine, kirstencohen, Cohen-girl, Oclover1 and Mz Cohen. I'm really grateful for all of them. **

**Thanks to my overwhelming boredom of all things law-related right now, I finally decided to sit down and write the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

**The Heartbreak**

Kirsten led the way up to the bedroom, weary after such a long day.

"I guess you're happy that today is over," she said.

"Oh, absolutely," Sandy agreed, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Kirsten smiled. She had spent most of the day annoyed with him over his complete lack of enthusiasm for Valentine's Day. She should have been used to it by now, but every year she hoped that he would finally do something romantic. He never did; but she didn't care. She could put up with his lack of romanticism for everything else he brought to her life – the fun, the passion, the love.

Kirsten walked into the bedroom and gasped at what she saw. Dozens of candles lit the room, which was decorated with flowers petals thrown carelessly over the furniture and the floor.

"Oh my god, Sandy," she whispered.

"Somebody's got to keep Hershey's and Hallmark in business," he joked behind her.

Kirsten giggled in delight as she climbed onto the bed, heading straight towards a large heart-shaped box of chocolates. Sandy came up behind her and shot her with the foam cupid's arrow. Kirsten gasped and turned to smile at him, laughing. Sandy loved the sound of her laugh; he didn't hear it enough.

"So, you want to be my Valentine?" Sandy asked.

"Yes," Kirsten gushed. "Just as soon as I have some of these caramel chocolates, they're my favourite."

"The square ones. I like the ones with nuts," Sandy said, pointing over her shoulder.

Kirsten picked him out a chocolate and held it up to him. Instead of taking it from her hand, he bent down and wrapped his lips around her fingers, taking the chocolate with his teeth. Kirsten laughed again. He sat down on the bed, to her right, and gazed adoringly at her.

"Thank you," Kirsten said. Sandy grinned smugly at her and shrugged his shoulders. Kirsten leant towards him and kissed him softly, before jumping off the bed.

Sandy heard her squealing in delight as she wandered around the bedroom. He took off his jacket and tie, and cleared the bed, before creeping up behind her as she stood at the dresser smelling the scent of the candles that were burning there. He rested his hands on her waist, kissing her shoulder, and slowly running his hands up her back. He ran his fingers under the straps of her dress and continued to kiss her across her back.

Kirsten smiled and closed her eyes, losing herself in his touch. Sandy traced his lips up her neck. "So, is this what you wanted? Chocolates? Flowers?" he whispered.

"Lingerie?" Kirsten questioned.

"Why would I buy you lingerie…when all I'm going to do, is take it off?" Sandy asked slowly, as his hands deftly untied the back of her dress so that it hung loosely from the straps.

Kirsten spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her eyes were laughing and Sandy felt his heart skip a beat.

"You look so beautiful tonight," he said, softly. He drew her in closer, rubbing his nose against hers, their lips barely apart. Kirsten loved this moment – the anticipation, knowing that their lips would meet soon; wanting to save this feeling forever.

She felt her heart beat faster as she embraced him in a deep and passionate kiss, moaning softly as his tongue entered her mouth. Even after nearly twenty years together, he still managed to make her knees go weak. She ran her hands through his hair as they stumbled back towards the bed, falling down together and loosing each other's lips. They lay, breathless and laughing.

Sandy sat up, pulling his wife up with him. He reached behind him to a bottle of champagne that sat, chilling, at the end of the bed. He handed Kirsten two flutes and she held them out while he poured the bubbly liquid in to them. Kirsten smiled as she handed one of the glasses to Sandy.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Sandy said.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

They clinked glasses and took a sip of the champagne at the same time. Sandy stared at his wife, unable to take his eyes off of her. She was beautiful, he had thought so from the moment he had first laid eyes on her. He remembered how surprised he had been when she had agreed to go on a date with him – this boy from the Bronx, whose life was a world away from her own; and now here they were, happily married for nearly twenty years.

The sound of music came floating down the hallway from Seth's bedroom.

_'I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now.'_

Sandy got up and shut the bedroom door, turning off the lights at the same time so that the bedroom was lit only by the burning candles. Shadows danced up the walls. He walked back over to the bed, taking her empty glass from her hand. He towered above her, bending down to kiss her, and they fell backwards on to the bed again.

Kirsten's hands wandered over Sandy's body, wrestling with the buttons on his shirt and eventually pulling it off of his body. She then turned her attention to the buckle on his belt, trying to concentrate on the task while Sandy's hands ran over her. He pulled the straps of her dress down and it slid off her body easily.

"I love you," he whispered into the darkness.

"I love you," came back at him.

>>>>>

The next morning, Kirsten rolled over in bed and stretched her arm out to find an empty space. It didn't surprise her, she was used to waking up alone. But it was those rare mornings when her outstretched arm would find her husband lying next to her that she liked the most – if the weather was particularly rough or the surf was unusually bad – and she would curl up next to him, making the most of him being there.

This morning wasn't one of those, though. She stretched her body, a smile forming as she remembered the night before. They had never lack passion and lust in their relationship; from their first date, all she had to do was look into those big blue eyes and she wanted him. Only he could make her forget that she was approaching forty, a mother of two teenage boys and a high-powered career woman. One look in those eyes, and she was the twenty-two year old who smelt of patchouli and lived in the back of a mail truck.

Just thinking about him made Kirsten crave her husband. Dragging herself out of bed, she pulled on her robe and wandered downstairs. The house was quiet. There was no sign of either Seth or Ryan yet, not unusual for a Sunday morning. She scoured the refrigerator but nothing appealed to her.

She checked the time – half past eight. Sandy would be gone for a while yet. She had never understood his passion for surfing. Despite growing up next to the ocean, she hated the sea and the thought of swimming amongst all the fish and seaweed; plus, she had never got over the nightmares she had had after watching Jaws for the first time at the tender age of eight.

Kirsten sighed, impatiently. She wasn't good at doing nothing. Sandy was always nagging her, trying to get her to relax but their ideas on how to relax couldn't have been more different – for Kirsten, it usually involved an afternoon at Fashion Island or a spa trip; for Sandy, it meant surfing or golf. Usually, by the time they had argued about what to do, it was too late to do anything at all!

_"There's a lot of things that are important to me that you don't do,"_ Sandy had said to her during their argument.

"Well, Sandy Cohen, we'll see about that!"

>>>>>

An hour later, Kirsten was wandering down to the beach, a picnic basket in one hand and a blanket in the other. She knew where he would be – he had a favourite spot along the beach. It was already warm outside and a light breeze felt cool against her skin.

It was easy to spot him since the beach was relatively quiet. Laying out the blanket, she dropped the basket and took off her shoes before walking down to the sea. As she reached the waves, she rolled up her trousers to her knees and, after taking several deep breaths, walked into the sea. She grimaced at the thought of the sea creatures that were probably swimming against her skin right now, trying to stay focused on why she was doing this.

Why was she doing this? To prove a point to Sandy? To prove that she was willing to do things that were important to him? To prove him wrong was the most likely answer.

The waves were reaching over five feet and Sandy was enjoying himself. Life couldn't get much better than this; he'd spent a wonderful night with his wife followed by a morning of great surf.

Sandy almost fell off his surfboard when he thought he saw Kirsten walking towards him. He blinked. No, it still looked like his wife was…_in the water_! Sandy shook his head, trying to unblock the water that was clogging his ears and obviously affecting his brain somehow. It didn't work – she was still there. Grabbing his surfboard, he swam towards her, eventually reaching a depth that allowed him to walk through the water to greet her.

Kirsten smiled when she saw the surprised look on Sandy's face. "Hey."

"Um, hi," Sandy said, unable to feign his surprise. He kissed her cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"Do I need an excuse to come and watch my husband surf?" Kirsten teased him.

Sandy looked at her sceptically. "No." He paused. "Is everything ok?"

Kirsten laughed. "Everything's fine. I brought breakfast," Kirsten said, waving her hand towards the beach.

Sandy stared at her. "Ok, what's going on?"

Kirsten shrugged her shoulders. "I just wanted to say thank you. For last night."

She leant in and kissed him softly, careful not to lean against his wet body. He tasted of seawater. She smiled at him.

Sandy felt torn. The waves were too good to miss this morning, but the sight of his wife was too appealing right now. Kirsten sensed his hesitance.

"I'm going to go watch from the beach. Take your time."

Sandy grinned. She always knew what he was thinking and he loved it. He loved that he could be so connected to one person, and he loved that it was Kirsten. He leant in to kiss her and saw her reciprocate, closing his eyes and waiting for their lips to meet, when all of a sudden he felt her pull away.

"I'm sorry, I can't. There's something touching my ankles."

Sandy laughed as he watched Kirsten race out of the sea, standing on the beach shaking her legs to make sure that nothing had followed her out the water. When she was satisfied she was alone, she settled back down on the blanket, lying on her stomach and watching Sandy in the water. She actually found that she enjoyed watching him – although, admittedly, part of that was the wet suit he was wearing, which flattered him in all the right places.

After another half an hour, the lure of his wife's body stretched out on the sand was enough to make Sandy leave the water. With his surfboard under his arm, he walked up the beach where he found Kirsten so engrossed in her book she didn't notice him, until he shook the water out of his hair over her.

"Hey!" she squealed, rolling over to escape the downpour.

"I thought you came here to watch me?" it was Sandy's turn to tease now.

"I was, I just got a little distracted," Kirsten defended herself.

She brought herself up to sitting and started to open the picnic basket, while Sandy changed into a t-shirt and shorts. He sat down, straddling her body with his legs so that she was sat in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her. Kirsten smiled at his actions as she carried on unpacking the food.

"Sesame bagels? Wow, you're really spoiling me," Sandy grinned as he peered over her shoulder. He kissed her neck and ran his hands down her arms until he reached her hands, linking his fingers with hers and forcing her to stop. He pulled her backwards towards him, so that her body was resting on his. Kirsten nuzzled her head against his neck, closing her eyes, and Sandy placed a kiss on her forehead. He heard her sigh happily.

"We should do this more often," Sandy said.

"Mmm," Kirsten agreed.

They sat quietly for a while, enjoying the peace; enjoying each other's embrace.

"You were right about what you said," Sandy eventually broke the silence. "You supported me when I decided to change my job. And you never questioned my decision to open the restaurant with Jimmy."

Kirsten opened her eyes and looked up at him. She smiled. "Yeah, well, you do put up with a lot of crap from my dad."

Their eyes met and Sandy bent down to kiss her tenderly.

"Although I still maintain that I don't snore," Kirsten laughed afterwards.

Sandy joined in with her laughter. "Maybe a freight train was a bit of an exaggeration. A tram maybe…"

Sandy yelped as Kirsten dug her elbow into his stomach. She was still laughing. She wriggled away from him slightly and went back to unpacking the picnic basket. Sandy watched her, his eyes full with adoration.

"So, what are you doing for the rest of the day?" Sandy asked.

"I'm spending the day with my husband," Kirsten answered.

"How about golf?"

Kirsten rolled her eyes. "Don't push your luck, Sandy."


	4. The Gamble

**Firstly, thank you to OCLover1, kirstencohen, beachgirl, Ldee, skipper, Jo, Ashlified, Mrs Clooney, Christine, Trinity Is Go, Cheryl and Carby4ever for your reviews of The Heartbreak.**

**I hope everyone had a good Christmas/holidays. Father Christmas was very generous this year and brought me Kirsten, Sandy & co. in a nice shiny orange box – plus with an impending assessment on Friday, I've got lots of motivation to write more missing scenes (hopefully one for each episode). I've got lots of half-written chapters so hopefully I'll be able to post more soon.**

**Thanks for all the encouragement! This one has also got a little bit of Kirsten/Ryan in it as well, because I love their relationship too – and I always wanted to know what happened after Ryan's mum left. Enjoy!**

**The Gamble**

Ryan watched as his mother walked away from him, his hand waving a pitiful goodbye. He could feel Kirsten's eyes burning on him and he sighed.

He was alone. Again.

"Ryan…" Kirsten started.

"It's ok," Ryan interrupted her. "You don't have to make excuses for her."

"I thought…finding your mom was…I don't know, I thought I was helping," Kirsten stumbled. "I'm sorry, I should have listened to you."

Ryan didn't speak, something Kirsten found unnerving about him. She looked at him; he looked lost and her heart reached out to him for the first time since Sandy had brought him home. She had seen him protect her in the prison, and she had watched him take care of his mother in her drunken state. Now, she realised, Ryan needed someone to take care of him. Slowly, she walked over to him.

"I guess…you're stuck with us now," Kirsten said softly.

Ryan looked up at her, his eyes a mixture of sadness, fear and gratitude. He nodded, still silent. Kirsten was starting to learn that words weren't always necessary with Ryan.

"Come on. Let's go get some breakfast," Kirsten said. "Don't worry, Sandy's making it."

Ryan smiled and followed her into the house.

"Hey," Seth greeted them.

"Hey," Ryan answered quietly, still a little unsure about what was going to happen next.

Sandy walked towards them. "Where's, uh…?"

"Ryan's going to stay with us now," Kirsten said.

She watched as Seth's face lit up, while Sandy's expression changed to one of surprise.

"That's awesome," Seth said, excited. "I mean, it's…that's…that's awesome, right? That's cool, um…let's go talk about stuff, come on."

Seth walked into the family room and Ryan followed, a smile forming on his face. As he left the kitchen, he paused.

"I'll unpack later."

Those few words were enough for Kirsten. She smiled, before turning back to Sandy and walking towards him.

"Well, there's a no return policy now, you know that," Sandy said.

Kirsten grabbed hold of Sandy's shirt. "I love you, you know that?"

Sandy grinned. He would never tire of hearing her say those words.

"Are we ok?" Kirsten asked.

"Yeah," Sandy answered. He had always believed that, no matter what happened, they were always going to be ok.

"Good," Kirsten said. "Because we just got in way over our heads."

They turned to look at Seth and Ryan talking in the family room; well, Seth was talking, Ryan was listening. The perfect balance.

Kirsten turned her head towards Sandy. "About Jimmy…"

"It doesn't matter," Sandy interrupted.

"It does. You were right. I should have told you, I'm sorry," Kirsten said.

"It's forgotten," Sandy said, simply.

He slipped his arms around Kirsten's waist, pulling her body towards his. She found his hands and linked her fingers with his. Kirsten leaned into him and sighed happily. Sandy breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of her hair and her skin. He dropped his head and kissed her neck, his lips causing her skin to tingle.

The kettle started to whistle and Kirsten disentangled herself from Sandy's arms to take it off the stove. Sandy followed her, glad to be out of eyeshot of the two boys in the family room. His hands found Kirsten's hips and he pulled her towards him, kissing her before she had time to protest. Kirsten relaxed in his arms, running her hands up his arms and through his hair. Sandy's hands wandered under her robe, his fingers teasing her as they brushed lightly over the inch of skin that was bared where her top ended and her pants began.

The sound of laughter travelled through the kitchen and Kirsten pulled back, too conscious of the fact that Seth and Ryan were just around the corner. Her eyes glanced towards the back of the kitchen. Seth was becoming more animated and Kirsten smiled at the happiness in his voice.

"I think you've scored points on this one, you know," Sandy said.

Kirsten looked back at Sandy. "I wish I'd seen it before. Sooner."

Sandy frowned, puzzled. "Seen what?"

"Whatever it is that you see when you first meet someone," Kirsten answered, tracing her fingers over the contours of his face. "I wish I could do that – see past the surface. I wish I'd seen Ryan the way you saw him."

"I knew you'd see it eventually," Sandy said, softly. "I had every faith that you'd see it."

His eyes swept over her, taking in every detail of her face. "I love you."

Kirsten smiled as he bent down and kissed her again.

"Eugh. Unfortunately, Ryan, being part of this family also involves watching these two slobber over each other on way too many occasions than I'd like," Seth's voice interrupted them.

Sandy rolled his eyes at Kirsten before loosening his grip around her waist and turning around.

"What's for breakfast, Pops?" Seth asked, settling down on a stool at the island, ignoring his father's annoyed look.

Ryan hung back slightly, watching with amusement.

"How about we fix ourselves a proper breakfast? Bacon, eggs, pancakes?" Sandy offered.

Seth nodded enthusiastically and then paused. "We? That doesn't include Mom does it?"

"Hey!" Kirsten cried indignantly. Her eyes twinkling, she stormed past Seth and sat down at the kitchen table, looking up expectantly. "Well, get cooking."

Seth barked orders from his seat, while Sandy clattered pans around and Ryan pulled food from refrigerator. Kirsten watched as her family moved around the kitchen, enjoying the banter.

Her family. Her husband; and her _two_ sons.


	5. The Proposal

**The Proposal**

"Without a liquor licence we'll be belly up in no time," Caleb complained.

"Really? Cal, I had no idea," Sandy answered sarcastically.

"There's no point in even opening the damn place," Caleb continued.

"That's why I was hoping I could ask you to do me a favour," Sandy asked.

"What?"

"Wait, did…did you not hear me?"

"No, I heard you. I just wanted to hear you say it again," Caleb teased him.

Sandy sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was to ask Caleb Nichol for help, but he had no choice, not if he wanted to help Jimmy.

"If it was up to me, I'd rather take the hit then have a conversation with you but it's Jimmy. The Lighthouse is all he's got," Sandy answered.

"If you dropped him they'd issue the licence; but you're too much of a martyr. Listen, Sandford, never mix business with friendship," Caleb advised.

"You're right. From now on, I'm doing all my deals with you. When you came to me about Uncle Shaun, I said yes. You owe me," Sandy said.

"No, I don't wanna owe you. I want to hold it over your head," Caleb said.

Their conversation was interrupted by Kirsten, who wandered into the kitchen wrapped up in her robe, looking pale and tired. She went straight to the refrigerator.

"Need water…tried to lie down…got the spins."

Caleb ignored his daughter's whimpers. "I'd better get back to my bride to be."

"Oh yeah, definitely might vomit," Kirsten mumbled, wandering over to Sandy.

Caleb lifted his hand, gesturing a goodbye, and left. Kirsten rolled her eyes, using all the energy she could muster to open the bottle of water she held in her hands. The cold liquid was soothing to her hot flushes. Her head was pounding and Sandy silently reached in the cupboard for a bottle of aspirin. Kirsten smiled gratefully as she accepted the bottle, hoping that they would stop the pain in her head. Unfortunately, she knew that they wouldn't change the situation. Her dad was still going to marry Julie Cooper. She grimaced.

"You ok?" Sandy asked, noticing her frown, as they stood side-by-side against the kitchen unit.

Kirsten rested her head on his shoulder. "I will be once these aspirin kick in."

"I mean about Caleb and Julie," Sandy said.

"I know."

Sandy felt Kirsten sigh against him. "I just…don't really know what to say."

Sandy kissed the top of her head. He was convinced that once she found her voice, she wouldn't stop ranting about it!

"Did you sort things out about the liquor licence?" Kirsten asked, wanting to change the subject and concentrate on someone else's troubles for a while.

It was Sandy's turn to sigh. "I asked Caleb for help."

Kirsten stood up straight and turned so that she was facing Sandy. She raised her eyebrows, surprised. "You did?"

"I didn't know what else to do. As much as I hate to say it, you were right – Caleb's the only one who can get us out of this one," Sandy said, despondent.

Kirsten placed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. Her fingers brushed over his neck and she ran her hand up into his hair. Sandy leaned backwards into her touch, before turning his head and kissing her hand. Kirsten smiled softly.

"I think you did the right thing," she said.

"I just wish there was more I could do," Sandy sighed.

Kirsten moved so that she was stood in front of him. "Sandy, you've done everything you can for Jimmy. More than anyone else. It's not your fault that Jimmy decided to steal from his clients and get himself into this mess. You gave him a chance; you trusted him when no-one else would. Jimmy's lucky."

She ran her hands up his arms, across his shoulders and eventually cupping his face. "So am I."

She kissed him gently and smiled. Sandy smoothed her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear.

"You look rough," Sandy said.

Kirsten laughed and let out a small groan, leaning into Sandy and resting her head in the crook of his neck. "I ache."

Sandy wrapped his arms around her, taking comfort from having her so close. He had spent the whole night celebrating the new restaurant with Jimmy, knowing that Jimmy's past mistake was going to cause their new venture to fail unless Caleb Nichol could help them. He hadn't been able to enjoy the evening and grovelling to Caleb for help had been another nail in the coffin, as far as Sandy was concerned.

Standing with Kirsten in his arms, however, was soothing. Her words and sympathy were exactly what he needed; _she_ was exactly what he needed.

"It's going to be ok," he murmured.

Kirsten wasn't sure if he was talking about the restaurant or the possibility of Julie Cooper being her stepmother. She looked up at him.

"Tell him," she said. "Tell Jimmy what's going on. He should know; and you shouldn't have to deal with this by yourself."

Sandy nodded. He didn't want to have to tell Jimmy but he knew that Kirsten was talking sense. His big blue eyes looked at her. He tried not to smile at how tired and ill she looked. It was her own fault for drinking too much champagne. Not that he blamed her – if Julie Cooper was going to be his stepmother, he'd want to drink himself into denial as well. He wished he could take away some of the burden she was carrying, the way she did for him.

He kissed her lips, then slowly moved along her jaw line, behind her ear and down to her neck. Kirsten moaned softly. He kept his arms firmly wrapped around her, pressing her body against his. His hands gripped the soft towelling of her robe.

"Feeling better?" he whispered.

Kirsten smiled. "Hmm…yeah."

Kirsten tipped her head backwards and clasped his hair between her fingers, pulling his lips down her neck and across the top of her chest, before he found his way back up to the other side of her face. She felt the throbbing in her head begin to subside.

"Much better," she murmured.

Her lips met his and they kissed. He tasted of coffee; she tasted of toothpaste. The mixture of flavour did not go down well with Kirsten's fragile stomach and she pulled away.

"Sorry."

Sandy laughed. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Sandy kept one arm wrapped around Kirsten's waist, letting her rest her body weight on him. He would deal with Jimmy and the restaurant tomorrow; for now, all he wanted to do was curl up in bed with his wife.


	6. The Pilot

**Thank you to kirstencohen, Sunny, FriendsHolic, ally, Dayna, Ldee, Thyqua, softthorns and BrontesGirl for your reviews. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this story. I've posted 3 chapters today for The Pilot, The Model Home and The Links to make up for it!**

**BrontesGirl – I will be doing season 2 episodes, hopefully the first couple will be posted very soon!**

**The Pilot**

"Seth!"

"Mom! How many times do I have to tell you this? Ryan did not get me _into_ a fight, he saved me from getting my arse kicked by a bunch of chest-shaving waterpolo players."

Kirsten sighed. "Seth, don't say 'arse'."

They were in the kitchen and Kirsten was trying to get a satisfactory explanation from her son about what he had been doing the night before, but so far she wasn't impressed with what she had heard. Drinking, fighting – these were not typical weekend activities for her son.

The sound of the door caught her attention and Kirsten could hear muffled voices coming from the hallway. She turned to see Sandy and Ryan appear in the entrance of the kitchen. She opened her mouth to protest but there was something about the way they looked that stopped her from speaking. Sandy's eyes pleaded with her, while Ryan kept his eyes focussed on the floor, looking embarrassed and upset.

"Hey," Seth greeted them, looking between his Mom, Dad and Ryan.

Ryan stayed silent, refusing to lift his head. Kirsten's eyes remained on Sandy.

"Seth, why don't you help Ryan settle into the poolhouse," Sandy said.

Ryan shuffled past Kirsten, never looking up from the floor, and followed Seth outside. Kirsten turned back to look at Sandy and raised her eyebrows expectantly. _So, he was staying?_

Sandy sighed, dropping his keys on the island. He knew she was waiting for an explanation and he hoped that she would understand.

"I had no choice," Sandy spoke first.

"What happened?" Kirsten asked.

"His mum's gone," Sandy explained.

"Gone where?" Kirsten asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"I don't know, she's just gone. Disappeared," Sandy said, sitting down on one of the stools. "She left the poor kid a note. A note! What else could I do?"

"There's nowhere else he can go? No family, no friends?" Kirsten asked.

"Do you really think he would have called a total stranger if he had another choice?" Sandy answered, exasperated. "Don't you think that this is humiliating for him?"

Sandy sighed again, frustrated. All he wanted to do was help this boy. He could see that Ryan was a good kid and believed that he deserved a chance to make his life better. Ryan's family were not the ones who were going to provide that, so why couldn't Sandy's?

He couldn't fault Kirsten's intentions. She was looking out for her family – one of the many traits that had caused him to fall in love with her in the first place. Sometimes he thought she loved Seth too much. Living in Newport Beach was like living in your own private world but Sandy wanted more for Seth. He wanted him to have real experiences, friends, a life outside of the McMansion that he spent most of his time holed up in.

He looked across at Kirsten. Her face told him that she wasn't happy, but he knew his wife well enough to know that she wouldn't throw Ryan out on the streets.

"Please, Kirsten, he's got nowhere else to go," Sandy pleaded.

Kirsten sighed. What was she missing about this boy? Sandy was adamant about helping him and Seth seemed enchanted by him. Sandy had accused her of becoming cynical and she knew it was true, but with good cause. Since Ryan had arrived, Seth had stayed out beyond his curfew, had been drinking and got himself involved in a fight. A fight he insisted wasn't Ryan's fault.

Ryan. He was polite, and quiet. When she had caught him drinking at the fashion show, he had willingly given up his drink to her and she hadn't seen him with another in his hand. This morning, he had packed his bag knowing she was going to throw him out, but he had still made breakfast for the family. A gesture; a token of thanks. For what? Throwing him out?

As hard as she tried, Kirsten knew couldn't trust him. To Kirsten, Ryan was a threat – to her son, to her family. All she wanted to do was protect them, why couldn't they understand that?

"Please, Kirsten," Sandy repeated. "I just need you to trust my judgement."

Kirsten looked across the kitchen at her husband. "I do."

She smiled slightly and walked over to where he was sitting, running her fingers through his hair. "I trust it more than my own."

Sandy took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "Then trust me on this."

Kirsten paused. Trust him? She had always trusted him and he had never let her down.

"He stays in the poolhouse."

Sandy nodded.

"And you'll call child services Monday morning?" Kirsten questioned.

Sandy nodded again. "Yes," he answered, his voice hopeful.

Kirsten nodded. "Ok," she agreed.

Sandy lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly. Kirsten smiled and bent down, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

_'What was the worst that could happen?'_ she thought.


	7. The Model Home

**The Model Home**

Sandy was exhausted and frustrated by the time he got home from the police station. Alone. Ryan was stuck in jail and there was nothing Sandy could do about it.

Unless he could persuade Kirsten to drop the arson charges against him.

Both Ryan and Luke argued that the fire had been an accident, but Sandy wasn't sure that he would be able to persuade Kirsten that was true. She had trusted him when he had brought Ryan into their home, not once but twice, and both times she had felt let down.

The house was quiet. There was no sound coming from Seth's bedroom and Sandy could only guess that he was either asleep or, more likely, sulking. Wearily he went to his own bedroom. Kirsten was sat up in bed, waiting for him. She looked up from the papers she was reading.

"Hey," she greeted him, quietly. Sandy noted her mood – she didn't seem angry or upset. Maybe he had a chance. He saw that the papers she was reading were insurance papers for the model home. Maybe not.

"Hey," he sighed. He dropped his body down onto the bed and started to take off his shoes. Kirsten watched him as he worked deftly on his shoelaces in silence.

"What happened?" Kirsten asked.

Sandy shrugged. "He broke his probation. I can keep him out of trouble for that one, but they want to charge him with arson. There's nothing _I_ can do to fix that," he looked over his shoulder at her.

Kirsten's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "But there's something _I_ can do?" she asked.

"You can get the Newport Group to drop any charges against him," Sandy said cautiously.

"Oh, Sandy…"

"Please, Kirsten?" Sandy begged.

"Sandy, I know you think you have to look out for this kid, but he burnt down a house. Do you really think he should be allowed to get away with that?" Kirsten questioned him.

"Ryan says it was an accident; so does Luke. And I believe them," Sandy said defiantly.

"Why?"

Sandy frowned. "Why what?"

"Why do you believe them? What makes you think they're not just making up an excuse to get themselves out of trouble?"

"Kirsten, come on, they're kids. They got into a fight and, yeah, they were careless, but they didn't do it on purpose," Sandy said. "Ryan's a good kid, he just needs someone to give him a break."

"You keep telling me that he's a good kid, but all he's done so far is drag Seth into a fight and burn down one of my model homes," Kirsten cried.

"If this is about the insurance…"

Sandy waved his hands towards the insurance papers that were scattered across the bed.

"Sandy, it's not about the money," Kirsten answered, hurt that he would think so low of her. "I'm not sure I can even do what you're asking, it's my father's company."

"You're father's in Europe. He left you in charge of the company in his absence. I'd say you're the only one can get them to drop the charges," Sandy said.

Kirsten sighed. She dropped her head and started to fiddle absent-mindedly with her wedding ring, avoiding Sandy's pleading stare. She could feel his frustration with her but she didn't know what to do. It wasn't as simple as it was for Sandy. She wasn't like him, she didn't have his eyes; she had tried but she couldn't see past the surface of this boy. She needed more – some glimpse of reassurance that inviting him into her house was the right thing to do. Sandy couldn't give her this reassurance; for Kirsten, it needed to come from Ryan. Yet all that he had seemed to do was bring chaos into her family.

"What happens if we drop the charges?" Kirsten asked quietly.

"Without any arson charges, it's just a question of him breaking his probation. He'll have a probation hearing and I'm sure I can persuade the court to go easy on him," Sandy said.

"What would happen to him until then?" Kirsten asked.

"He's stuck in juvie until I can find his mother," Sandy answered. "Unless I can find somewhere else for him to go."

He looked up at her. Kirsten knew what he was asking. Sandy waited patiently as Kirsten considered his plea, hoping she could find that part he knew was inside of her, the part that she usually kept hidden, the part that would find sympathy for Ryan, despite his recent actions. He studied her face as she thought. Her innocence had been one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her. She hadn't seen the things he'd seen growing up in the Bronx, she hadn't experienced what he had; she had grown up in this Newport Beach 'bubble' and Sandy had accepted her invitation to enter it. Only now, he wished she could understand some of that – to understand what it was like to grow up with nothing and be grateful for that one person who gave you a chance, even when you didn't deserve it.

"I'll talk to the lawyers tomorrow and make sure they don't bring any charges against him," Kirsten said eventually.

"What about your Dad?"

"I'll talk to him," Kirsten answered dismissively. "I might put it off for a while though."

"And what about getting Ryan out of prison?" Sandy asked tentatively, knowing he was probably pushing it too far now.

"Sandy, I can't. I tried; we gave him a chance. I'm sorry," Kirsten sighed.

Sandy nodded. He knew it had been a long shot. Dropping the arson charges was enough for now; he could work on getting Ryan out of juvie tomorrow.

Kirsten shuffled her papers as Sandy stripped off his clothes, before settling into bed next to her. He reached his arm across her stomach and leant towards her, placing a lingering kiss on her temple.

"Thank you," he said, hoping she could here the sincerity in his voice.

Kirsten gave him a half smile before switching the lamp off, sending them into darkness. Kirsten's hand found his and he squeezed it gently. As they lay side by side, only inches apart, Kirsten sighed as she could only feel the distance between them.


	8. The Links

**I did plan to post the rest of the chapters in order, but I had this idea and wanted to write it before I lost it! I hope you like it! **

**The Links**

Kirsten walked up the stairs to her bedroom, her hands cradling water, aspirin and the pen that she had confiscated from Seth. She had left an inebriated Sandy passed out on the bed, after drinking a few too many martinis with Jimmy. When she got back to her bedroom, she paused in the doorway as she took in the sight before her. In her absence, Sandy had obviously decided that he was tired and wanted to go to bed. He was now sprawled on his back across the bed, his jacket dangling off of one arm, his tie loose around his neck and his trousers hanging open. She shook her head, laughing.

She walked over to the bed. Sandy's eyes were closed and his mouth was wide open.

"Sandy?"

He didn't react.

"Sandy!"

Still nothing.

"SANDY!" Kirsten yelled at him, slapping his thigh with her hand.

He snorted and opened his eyes. "What?" he asked, dazed.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Kirsten laughed.

She reached for Sandy's hand and pulled him up, sitting next to him. He sat, quiet and slouched, next to her. Kirsten worked at pulling off his jacket and tie.

Sandy leaned into her. "You smell good," he murmured, nuzzling her neck.

"Thanks. You smell like a drunk," Kirsten said, amused.

Sandy started trace a line of kisses up her neck and, in spite of herself, Kirsten found her eyes closing as his warm lips sent shivers down her spine. He reached her ear and started to nibble at her earlobe, before letting out a loud burp.

"Oh God!" Kirsten groaned, pushing Sandy away from her. He fell backwards onto the bed again and lay still, staring at the ceiling.

Kirsten rolled her eyes and bent down to take off Sandy's shoes. He grunted as she lifted each leg, pulling off each shoe in turn. She used the opportunity to pull his trousers off of him, leaving him in just his shirt, boxers and socks.

"Ok, come on, just your shirt to go," Kirsten tried to coax him back up to sitting again, but Sandy resisted and, despite his drunken state, he was still stronger than she was. Kirsten gave up.

"Fine, stay in your shirt," she laughed. She looked down at him. His eyes were closed again and he began to snore quietly. Kirsten reached over him and began to pull down the bed sheets, in a vain attempt to get him _into_ the bed rather than just on top of it. As she did, she caught sight of the pen that she had taken off of Seth.

A mischievous smile spread across her face.

She looked at Sandy again. He was still unconscious and the temptation was just too strong. Kirsten leant over and grabbed the pen.

T.

She paused, waiting for a reaction. When Sandy didn't move, she carried on.

E. S. T.

Sandy's face twitched.

I. C.

Sandy stirred slightly. "I love you," he mumbled under his breath. She waited for him to settle again.

L.

He twitched again.

E. S.

Kirsten had to bite her lip to stop her from giggling. Sandy grunted. Slowly, Kirsten drew a line across his face, giving him a moustache that looked like it belonged on a circus ringmaster.

This time, Sandy reacted. The pen tickled his face and his hand flew up, smacking his nose. His eyes opened suddenly to find Kirsten leaning over him. She flung the pen behind her, out of his sight.

"What? What's going on?" Sandy asked, frowning.

"Nothing," Kirsten answered innocently. "Come on, let's get you into bed."

Sandy let her pull him upright and she turned him around, so that when he flopped back down he was lying in the correct direction, on the right side of the bed. Kirsten's side of the bed. Resigned to the fact that there was no way she would be able to move him across the bed, Kirsten pulled the bed sheets over him. She pulled off her robe and got into bed next to him.

It felt strange to be on the left side of the bed. For the past twenty years, this had been Sandy's side of the bed and the only times she had ever crept across to it was those rare occasions when she slept without him. She reached her hand across Sandy's stomach, as she usually did, holding onto some part of him as they slept. She buried her face deep into his pillow, inhaling the scent of her husband that he had left.

Next to her, Sandy grunted. Kirsten smiled to herself. She was looking forward to Seth's face the next morning when he saw her artwork on his father's face. She closed her eyes and felt her tiredness begin to take over her body.

Suddenly, Sandy shifted and began to roll onto his left side. Kirsten's eyes flew open as she realised what he was about to do.

"No, Sandy, don't…!"

It was too late. Completely unaware that he was sleeping on the wrong side of the bed, Sandy rolled too far and fell out of bed. His head narrowly missed the sharp edge of the cabinet next to him and he landed on the floor with a loud thump. His arm caught the bedside lamp, knocking it crashing to the floor. Kirsten had flung herself to try and stop him from falling, and she now lay sprawled across the bed, her head hanging over the edge. She squinted, trying to see her husband through the darkness.

"Sandy?"

Kirsten suddenly became aware of footsteps running towards the bedroom. The door flung open, the light came on and Seth and Ryan appeared in the doorway. Seth held his hands over his eyes, in case he was about to walk in on his parents doing something he didn't want to see.

With the light on, Kirsten looked down at Sandy, who was lying on his back, his eyes wide open and looking up at her, completely bewildered.

"How did I get down here?" he asked her, confused.

Kirsten started to laugh and buried her face into the bed sheets to muffle her giggles.

"Is everything ok?" Ryan asked, frowning at Seth, who was trying to peak through the gaps between his fingers. He pulled Seth's hands away from his eyes.

Kirsten looked up at them in humoured despair. "Your father had a little accident."

Suddenly, Sandy sat up and leant back on the bed. He turned his head to look at Seth and Ryan, whose mouths dropped open in surprise as they saw what Kirsten had done to him. They both burst into laughter while Seth smiled proudly at his mom.

"Mom! You did good!"

"My boys!" Sandy cried, waving his arms in the air. Kirsten ducked away from his flailing arms.

"Will you boys help me get him back into bed?" Kirsten asked in between giggles.

Still laughing, Seth and Ryan moved towards the bed. Each taking an arm, they helped Sandy up off the floor and back onto the bed. He flopped back down again and together they rolled him across to his side of the bed to avoid any further accidents.

"Thanks, boys," Kirsten said, tucking Sandy back into bed.

"Are you going to be ok?" Ryan asked, concerned, looking towards Sandy whose arms were sprawled across the bed.

Kirsten laughed. "Yeah, I'll be fine. You guys should go to bed, it's getting late."

"Wait one second," Seth suddenly cried, running from the room. He returned a few moments later carrying a camera. "I have _got_ to get this on film!"

He took a photo of Sandy and smiled triumphantly. Saying goodnight, Kirsten pushed them both out of the door and went to check on Sandy. She could already see a bump starting to form on his forehead from where he had fallen. It would match the bruise on his leg that he was going to have from walking into the end of the bed earlier! She bent down and kissed it gently. Sandy stirred.

"Hmmm. Kirsten?"

"Yes, baby?" Kirsten said softly.

"Are you coming to bed?" Sandy asked.

Kirsten smiled fondly. "Yeah, I'm coming."

Turning off the light, Kirsten climbed back into bed – this time, on the right side of the bed. She curled up into Sandy's outstretched arm and he wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her tightly into his body. Kirsten closed her eyes, hoping for an uneventful night's sleep.


	9. The Goodbye Girl

**Thank you so so much for your reviews – Michelle, Kylie, ally, Kaz, Mariana, Emz, Lauren, Jen, Aimee, Cynthia and Panz.**

**This one is for Emz who asked me to write it. I hope it doesn't disappoint! Don't worry, there are no crashing vehicles in this chapter.**

**The Goodbye Girl**

"Kiki?"

Kirsten looked up to see her father approaching her. He always used that awful nickname for her and no amount of subtle digs had ever stopped him.

"Hey dad," she greeted him.

"Did Sandy give you the good news?" Caleb asked, unnervingly happy.

"Good news?" Kirsten frowned.

She was worried. She had seen the exchange between Caleb and Sandy earlier, and even though she had not heard what they were saying, she could tell by the look on Sandy's face that he had involved himself in her father's dodgy dealings, despite her insistence that he didn't.

"He negotiated a deal with Joel McKuin. I've agreed to let him supply us with lumber for the next Newport Group contract and in return this mess will disappear," Caleb said, grinning smugly.

"You did _what_?" Kirsten gasped angrily.

"I thought you'd be pleased? It's an easy deal to stop any of us from getting in trouble," Caleb said, confused by her reaction.

"Stop you from getting in trouble, you mean," Kirsten grumbled. "And what about Sandy? This deal you've made – it's illegal, isn't it?"

"Oh, come on, Kiki. You're making a big deal out of nothing," Caleb patronised. "Sandy was happy to help."

Kirsten snorted, demonstrating her disagreement.

"Oh, there's Julie," Caleb murmured, walking off suddenly and leaving Kirsten standing alone.

Kirsten stared after him in amazement, shaking her head in disgust. Sometimes, she just couldn't believe how low her father would stoop. She thanked God for Sandy, grateful that she had him to keep her sane amongst her the Newport elite that graced her life; who, despite supposedly having everything, still found themselves acting in underhand ways to get what they wanted.

She walked towards the bedroom, knowing that Sandy had taken refuge there. He was sat on the stool at the end of the bed, rubbing his feet, when Kirsten found him. He looked up as she leaned against the doorframe.

"I talked to my dad. He told me what you did," she told him.

"Obstructed justice; tampered with a witness," Sandy said sadly.

"So what happens now?" Kirsten asked.

"My guess is, not much," Sandy pondered. "Since it's an election year, the D.A. can't afford to lose; and without their star witness, they don't really have a case. If you're going to go after the king – Caleb – then you had better _know_ that you can kill the king."

"I told you that I didn't want you to get involved," Kirsten scolded.

Sandy could hear the concern in her voice.

"I will always do what is best for my family," Sandy said stubbornly.

"I'd rather go to jail than be responsible for you being mixed up in this…getting into bed with my father," Kirsten said.

Sandy looked up, amused. "I promise you, I'd rather send you to jail than get into bed with your father!" he joked.

Kirsten let out a small laugh and walked across to him, sitting down beside him on the stool. Sandy wrapped his arm around her.

"You do something like this, there's no going back," Kirsten said.

"Yeah, it's kinda like prom night," Sandy teased. "Believe me, if anybody's gonna be putting you in handcuffs – it's gonna be me."

Kirsten laughed and fell into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Sandy squeezed her closer to him comfortingly.

"I'm sorry," Kirsten whispered.

"It's not your fault," Sandy reassured her.

"I'm still sorry," Kirsten said.

Sandy kissed her forehead as a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Kiki?"

Kirsten sighed, pulling herself to sit upright. Sandy's hand fell from her shoulders, but stayed wrapped around her waist.

"Come in, dad," she said wearily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Caleb said, looking between Kirsten and Sandy.

Kirsten shook her head. "You didn't," she lied.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm leaving," Caleb said.

Kirsten nodded, hoping he wasn't expecting her to get up and walk him to the front door. She had had enough of playing hostess tonight.

Caleb paused and an uncomfortable silence fell over the room. He knew that Kirsten was upset with him and turned to Sandy, knowing he would have to make an effort with his son-in-law to get back into her good books.

"Sandy, thank you, again, for your help with Shaun. I owe you a drink sometime," Caleb offered.

Sandy was clearly unimpressed, but it was Kirsten who spoke first.

"I think you owe him more than just a drink."

Caleb squirmed. "Right, well, I'll see you soon."

With a curt nod towards Sandy, Caleb turned and left them alone in the bedroom again.

"He really is an arrogant ass," Kirsten said.

Sandy smiled, amused at her obvious disdain towards her father.

"Kirsten, don't say 'ass'," he teased her.

Kirsten rolled her eyes at him. Sandy wrapped his other arm around her, so that he looped her waist, and placed a soft kiss on her temple.

Kirsten sighed again. "I should go and check that the caterers have packed up."

She went to move, but Sandy tightened his grip around her waist and stopped her from standing up.

"I'll go," he said. "Why don't you go and run a hot bath? I'll join you soon."

Kirsten smiled at his offer and nodded.

"Lots of bubbles. I like bubbles," Sandy instructed.

Kirsten giggled. Sandy lifted her chin gently and kissed her.

"I love you," Kirsten said softly.

Sandy grinned. "I love you too."

Kirsten watched as Sandy got up and walked out of the bedroom to the backyard. She lifted herself wearily from the stool and went into the bathroom, running the hot tap. Sandy found her 20 minutes later, only her head visible above all the bubbles that filled the tub. Her eyes were closed and Diana Krall played softly in the background. The tub sat in the corner of the bathroom and Sandy loved that it was big enough to fit the both of them. He smiled down lovingly towards Kirsten, taking in her features as she hummed quietly and out-of-tune with the music. He backed out of the bathroom into the closet and quickly stripped himself of his clothes, before creeping back in and surprising Kirsten when he lowered himself into the other end of the bath.

Kirsten opened her eyes and smiled.

"Hello," she purred.

"Hello."

Sandy settled himself opposite his wife, nudging his feet to sit by her hips. Kirsten lifted her feet and put them on Sandy's stomach. Sandy ran his hands up and down her smooth legs, occasionally running his thumb along the soles of her feet, causing her to whimper.

"Feeling more relaxed?"

"Hmm," Kirsten moaned softly, closing her eyes and letting her head fall backwards.

Sandy grinned, pressing his thumbs down harder and she moaned deeper. He watched her for a while, her face twitching every now and again as he hit the right spot. He realised he would do anything for her, to keep her safe and happy, even if it meant breaking the law like he had done. His moral integrity was the one thing that kept him sane in Newport, amongst the 'pod people' as Seth called them; but he would give them up in a second if it meant protecting his family.

"Would you really go to prison for me?" Sandy asked curiously.

"Keep doing that and I'll do anything for you," Kirsten said. She grinned as soon as she said it, knowing without opening her eyes that Sandy would be raising his bushy eyebrows suggestively.

"Really? How about an early morning surfing lesson tomorrow?" Sandy asked.

"Nope."

"Golf?"

"Nope."

"What happened to 'anything'?"

"I lied."

Sandy grunted. Kirsten moved her feet away from his hands, sitting up suddenly and Sandy wished that there were less bubbles restricting his view. He sat up to meet her, and Kirsten wrapped her arms loosely around his neck.

"How about you and I go out for dinner, and then go see a show," Kirsten suggested.

"A show?" Sandy's face lit up.

Kirsten nodded.

"Can I choose the show?"

"Yes."

"Can I choose the seats?"

Kirsten screwed up her nose slightly. He always chose seats in the front row, close to the band. "Ok," she agreed reluctantly.

"Can I embarrass you by singing along really loudly?"

Kirsten grimaced. "Absolutely not," she said, shaking her head.

Sandy laughed and leant forwards to kiss her lightly.

"I really would go to prison for you, you know," Kirsten said softly. "I don't want you to regret anything; and don't want you to hate me for making you do something you don't wanna do."

"Oh, honey, I could never hate you," Sandy said. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I made that deal; and if it means keeping you out of trouble, then I'll never regret it."

Kirsten stared at him, wondering how she managed to get so lucky, before smothering his face with light kisses, eventually finding his smiling mouth. Sandy's hands gripped her back and he pushed their wet bodies together. Kirsten moaned softly as his tongue entered her mouth and curled itself around hers, and she tightened her arms around his neck and ran her hands through the back of his hair. They lost themselves for a while, caught up in each other's taste and touch, not noticing the water turn cold around them.

"I think I'm going wrinkly," Sandy said eventually.

Kirsten raised her perfectly arched eyebrows at him. "Really?"

"Well, not _all_ of me," Sandy grinned.

"Wanna get out?" Kirsten questioned.

Sandy nodded and watched in awe as Kirsten lifted herself out of the tub, disappointed when she wrapped herself in a thick robe. He followed her out, taking the robe that she offered him and covering himself up. Sandy slid his arms around her waist, unable to keep away from her.

"Don't get too comfortable in this," he said, tugging at her bathrobe.

Kirsten laughed.

"I love you," she said.

Sandy's eyes sparkled down at her. "I love you too."

Kirsten smiled and tilted her head towards the bedroom. "I think it's time I thanked you properly."

Sandy grinned and let her lead him into the bedroom. He was going to enjoy his reward.


	10. The Countdown

**I really should be studying for my exam, but if I've learnt anything this week, it's that no matter how much revision I do, the exams are still horrendous! So…meh!**

**Thank you to FriendsHolic, Jen, Sunny, ally, Lauren, Christine and Cohen-girl for your reviews of the last chapter. **

**The Countdown**

Kirsten woke up still wrapped up in Sandy's arms, spooned together under the sheets. She could feel his chest rise up and down against her back and his warm breath tickled her ear. She yawned and resisted the urge to stretch her body so as not to wake her sleeping husband. From under the sheets, Kirsten's stomach rumbled and she started to regret not going to dinner last night.

She laughed quietly as she remembered the party that she and Sandy had gone to. The swingers party. Hailey had wound her up and Kirsten had fallen for it, as usual. She had goaded Sandy into putting his watch into the bowl and instantly regretted it when he called her bluff. Most of the evening was a blur as she watched Sandy schmooze the crowd, her only companion a glass of champagne. Except for Bob, the birdwatcher. Kirsten shook her head and laughed. If Hailey thought she was boring, she should meet Bob.

It had hit 11.30pm – time to swing – and Kirsten remembered her heart stopping for a moment as she thought she might actually have to go through with it. A feeling of dread had embraced her as, one by one, the watches were pulled from the bowl. She should have known that Sandy could read her mind; that he would never have gone through with it himself. An overwhelming feeling of relief had swept over her when they were the last ones standing.

Although once they got home, they weren't standing for long.

Kirsten smiled as she remembered the night they had spent together. If the saying was true, that you should spend the New Year the way you want to spend the rest of the year, then Kirsten was going to have a very good year!

Her stomach rumbled again and slowly she slipped out from under Sandy's arms. He grunted and rolled over onto his back, his mouth open slightly. Kirsten sat up and finally stretched her body and sighing. She grabbed her robe and stood up, walking across the bedroom and pausing at the door. She went over to the closet and pulled out the sweater-set from Talbots, grimacing. Pulling it off the hanger, she screwed it up in her hands and threw it into the bin.

With a resilient nod, she walked down the steps and wandered through to the house, only to be faced with the reminder of Hailey's party the night before. The couch was still upside down, streamers littered the floor and spilt beer stained the carpets. The kitchen was just as bad and Kirsten started to pick up the rubbish that was scattered, literally, everywhere. As she picked up a paper cup, the bottom fell through and the contents fell down her legs. Irritated, she through the paper cup into the sink and leant back against the cupboards.

As she did, Ryan came through the doors and heard her sigh.

"Hey," he said softly so as not to scare her.

Kirsten looked up, surprised to see him. "Hi. You're up early?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I made plans with Marissa to…hang out," Ryan answered shyly.

Kirsten watched him as he moved around the kitchen, making a space for himself on the end of the kitchen island to eat a bowl of cereal. He was conscious that Kirsten was watching him and he looked up.

"What?"

"You told Marissa you loved her, didn't you?" Kirsten said.

Ryan averted his eyes, embarrassed, and Kirsten laughed.

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed about," she defended. "And, you know, at least it was memorable."

Kirsten laughed again as Ryan looked up, wide-eyed at her.

"Memorable? Girls remember stuff like that?"

"I think a lot of people remember the first time someone tells them they love them," Kirsten said.

"Do you? I mean, do you remember the first time Sandy told you?" Ryan asked curiously.

He had heard them say "I love you" so many times, Ryan was surprised that she would remember one particular time. He had never heard his parents tell each other that they loved each other. He saw Kirsten smile and her eyes glaze over.

"Yeah, I do. We hadn't been dating for long – a couple of months – and, uh, I decided I wanted to do something special for him, so I tried cooking us dinner."

Ryan looked amused and Kirsten nodded her head, answering his question before he even asked it.

"It didn't go well," Kirsten laughed. "What was supposed to be lasagne turned out to be one big lump of charcoal. I was so upset and so annoyed at myself, that I had ruined it all. Sandy…he just came into the kitchen and he told me that it didn't matter that I couldn't cook; that he loved me anyway. I don't think he even knew he'd said it, he just wandered off to find the phone to call for a takeaway. A couple of weeks later, it was my birthday and he told me he loved me then, in a big romantic gesture-type way. But I already knew."

Kirsten smiled fondly at Ryan. "I don't think it matters how or when you say it; just that you do."

They were interrupted by Hailey, who walked sullenly into the kitchen. Kirsten pursed her lips, wanting to avoid another argument. The kitchen fell silent, except for the crunching noise that came from Ryan as he ate his breakfast. Kirsten wandered around the kitchen, picking up bagels, making coffee, pouring orange juice, two of each, and placing them on a tray. Ryan made his excuse and went back out to the poolhouse. Hailey sat quietly at the kitchen table, popping pills in the hope that they would get rid of the awful headache that was invading her brain.

Before she left, Kirsten walked over to her and dumped the Yellow Pages in front of her. Hailey jumped as it banged on the table.

"You might want to look up cleaning services. I think you're gonna need some help."

Her voice was authoritative, but without malice. Kirsten picked up the tray and went back through the messy house to her bedroom. Sandy was still asleep. She put the tray down on the table and sat on the bed next to him. She chewed her lip thoughtfully as she considered the best way to wake him up. Carefully, she bent down to kiss him lightly, catching his top lip between her own lips. He didn't move. She kissed him lightly again, this time squarely on his lips. He stirred slightly and Kirsten bent down again, pressing firmly on his mouth this time. Sandy's eyes fluttered open and he smiled when he saw his wife leaning over him.

"Morning," he chuckled.

Kirsten smiled and responded with another kiss, this time deeper as his hands moved over her back. She rested her body against his chest.

"I could get used to this," Sandy said. He paused. "Do I smell coffee?"

"And bagels," Kirsten said.

"Oh, I could definitely get used to this," Sandy laughed. "So, how does the house look this morning?"

Kirsten rolled her eyes. "I don't think you'll be getting up to a clean house like you wanted."

"Well, that depends…" His eyes were dancing.

Kirsten looked at him suspiciously. "Depends on what?"

"On what time we get up."

Kirsten giggled as he brought her down to kiss him again, shifting his body weight from under her so that they rolled over.

"The coffee will go cold," Kirsten murmured as Sandy's lips grazed over her jaw and neck.

"Uh-huh," was all Sandy replied. His lips made their way back up to Kirsten's.

"I can't believe we almost spent New Year apart," Kirsten said quietly; guiltily almost.

"That never would have happened," Sandy said.

"I wouldn't have done it, you know. I couldn't," Kirsten said.

"I know," Sandy laughed. "Me neither."

His eyes swept over her. "I love you."

Kirsten giggled as she remembered the story that she had just told Ryan.

"What?" Sandy frowned.

Kirsten shook her head. "Nothing. I love you too."

Her hands reached for his face and she pulled him down towards her for another kiss. Kirsten was starting to like her rut.


	11. The Outsider

**A huge thank you to itsallOC, Jen, beachtree, Sheryl, Cynthia, Lauren, ally, Sunny, Michelle, Mariana and Panz for your reviews of the last chapter. **

**The Outsider**

Sandy was washing his solitary plate in the sink when he heard the front door and Kirsten's voice call out.

"Hey!"

Sandy turned to see Kirsten come through to the kitchen.

"Hey."

"Hi," Kirsten said warmly. "How did it go?"

Sandy emptied his hands and went over to his wife, accepting her kiss and wrapping his arms around her.

"Not well. How about you?"

"Same," Kirsten sighed.

They separated and Kirsten wearily leant against the kitchen island. "Sandy, what happened to our car?"

Sandy paused. This wasn't going to be easy to explain. "Seth'll explain everything."

"Where is he?" Kirsten questioned.

"I don't know. He's out, I guess," Sandy shrugged.

Kirsten walked over to the refrigerator and pulled it open, smiling when she saw the contents. "You bought beer?"

Sandy grinned at her.

"I miss beer," Kirsten said, holding out towards Sandy for him to open.

She took a sip and then offered the bottle to Sandy. "Want a sip?"

Sandy's eyes flared. "I want more than that," he teased, accepting the beer and taking a swig himself.

"Really?" Kirsten smiled as Sandy moved around the island towards her.

"Uh-huh," Sandy murmured. "You know, the boys might be out for a while."

He grinned at her as Kirsten wrapped her arms around his neck. Sandy put the bottle of beer down and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her. In one swift movement, he lifted Kirsten up onto the island counter. Kirsten giggled and Sandy revelled in the sound for a moment. Holding his head in her hands, Kirsten lowered her face and embraced him in a deep kiss. Sandy's hands moved up and down her back, before finally resting on her hips as he pulled her closer to him. Kirsten wrapped her long legs around him.

"I missed you," Sandy said.

"I was only gone one night," Kirsten smiled.

"That was long enough."

Kirsten pulled back slightly. "I thought you and Jimmy were enjoying a lads' night last night?"

Sandy paused. How was he supposed to tell her that it was hard to be friends with a guy who still had feelings for your wife?

"Well, he doesn't smell as good as you. And his lips aren't as soft," Sandy answered.

Kirsten shook her head in amusement.

"But he does cook better."

"Hey!" Kirsten slapped his arm playfully.

Sandy grinned and Kirsten couldn't help but smile back, before turning serious again.

"Is he going to jail?" she asked.

Sandy shrugged. "He doesn't have to. I spoke to a friend of mine who managed to negotiate a deal to keep him out of jail, as long as he makes full repayment."

Kirsten raised her eyebrows. "But?"

"But he doesn't seem to want to face up to reality. It's like he thinks that everything will fix itself," Sandy sighed.

Kirsten ran her fingers through his hair. "Thank you for helping him."

She bent down and left a kiss on his lips.

"So, how was your weekend with the Newpsies?" Sandy asked.

Kirsten rolled her eyes. "I think I upset them."

"Really?" Sandy asked, amused.

"I had to listen to them bitch about Jimmy all weekend, so I might have told them a few home truths," Kirsten said, feeling guilty about her sharp tongue.

Sandy laughed. "I wish I could've seen it."

"You know, Karen even gave Julie a phone number for a divorce attorney," Kirsten said, shaking her head in disgust.

Sandy looked up in surprise. "Do you really think Julie would do it? Divorce Jimmy?"

"I think she might," Kirsten replied truthfully.

"Poor Jimmy," Sandy sympathised. He saw Kirsten's surprised expression. "I know he's not my favourite person around here and he did get himself into this mess, but if Julie was to leave him as well – well, that's rough."

"I guess we're lucky," Kirsten mused.

"Why? Because I don't earn enough money to make a difference if I lost it all?" Sandy said, regretting it as soon as he said it. Jimmy's words about not knowing what it was like to provide for a family were still playing on his mind.

Kirsten frowned. "No, where did that come from?"

Sandy shook his head. "Nowhere. I'm sorry, it doesn't matter," he said. He rubbed her back. "Tell me why we're lucky?"

Kirsten paused, eyeing him suspiciously. She held his face in her hands again. "Because, if you were ever in trouble, I hope that you'd trust me enough to tell me and not keep it a secret. Just like I would trust you."

Sandy looked up at her, realising how lucky he was; lucky to be married to such an amazing woman; lucky not to be married to someone like Julie.

"I would trust you too," Sandy assured her.

He slipped his hands underneath her top and ran them up her back. Kirsten tightened the grip of her legs around him and pressed her body against his as she kissed him again, letting herself become carried away on the kitchen island.

"Hmm, I missed you too last night," Kirsten murmured as Sandy's lips brushed against her neck.

Sandy grinned into her skin, working his lips up towards her mouth, which was waiting hungrily for him. Behind them, the telephone started to ring. Sandy felt Kirsten's body react but he didn't let go.

"Let the machine get it," he said, breaking away from her lips to speak and finding them again quickly afterwards.

Kirsten's voice filled the kitchen.

_"Hey, there's no-one home right now but if you want to leave a message for Sandy, Kirsten, Seth or Ryan, leave a message."_

Sandy wondered when Kirsten had changed the telephone message as he ran his hands down her back and over her ass, his lips stuck to hers.

"Uh, hey, it's Seth. Now, I don't want you to worry but me and Ryan are at the hospital…"

Sandy pulled away immediately and Kirsten jumped down from the island, grabbing the telephone.

"Seth?"

Sandy waited impatiently as he listened to Kirsten's conversation with their son.

"He _what?_ Are you ok? What about Ryan? Are you sure? Ok, we'll be there as we can. He did? Ok. We'll see you soon."

Kirsten sighed as she put the phone back in its cradle.

"What happened?" Sandy asked straight away.

"They're ok," Kirsten appeased him. "It's Luke, he got shot."

"Shot?"

"They were at a party. Seth said some uninvited guests turned up," Kirsten told him.

"Let me guess: Holly's beach house?"

Kirsten nodded again. "We have to go and pick them up at the hospital. The police won't let them leave without a parent or guardian."

"And they're definitely ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, they're fine," Kirsten said, running her hand up and down his arm.

Sandy put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her temple, groaning in frustration that they had been interrupted.

Kirsten smiled, sharing his frustration. "Come on, let's go. The sooner we fetch them, the sooner we can finish what we started."

Kirsten raised her eyebrows suggestively and Sandy grinned.

"Oh, I like the way you think."

"Uh huh."

"Ok, let me get my keys," Sandy said.

"Um, actually Ryan took your car," Kirsten said.

"So we're…"

"…stuck in the trashed Range Rover," Kirsten finished.

"Alright, that's it. From now on, no more party's at Holly's," Sandy said.

Sandy followed Kirsten out of the house, resolving to have serious words with Seth and Ryan when they got home. It was bad enough that the Range Rover had got trashed, they had been at a party where someone had got shot and they had taken his car without asking, but now they had interrupted a rare moment he had with his wife – and that would not do.


	12. The Heights

**Thank you to Pana, Mariana, Kylie, Jen, Sunny, Michelle, JenJenxx, Lauren, ally, Cynthia and Kaz for your reviews of the last chapter.**

**I've given up putting the chapters in order for now, I'll sort them out when I post the last chapter (and that's _when_ not _if_, because I will finish these eventually!).**

**This one is for Kaz who asked me to write this ages ago but I never got round to doing it. It's Kandy fluff…I think we need it!**

**The Heights**

"Rachel, can't this wait until tomorrow?" Sandy sighed.

On the other end of the phone, Rachel made another snarky comment about the swamp rose. Sandy was sat at his desk in his study, his jacket and tie slung over the back of his chair. Several files were open on his desk and he leafed through each one obediently when Rachel ordered.

He hadn't seen Kirsten for the past hour. He had watched her climb out of the hot tub, rubbing her slim body with a towel. She had sent him a regretful look before disappearing into the bedroom. Sandy had gone to his study, where he still was, wishing he was somewhere else.

As if she knew he was thinking about her, Kirsten appeared at the door, wrapped up in her bathrobe. Sandy smiled apologetically at her as Rachel continued to talk in his ear.

"Yeah…uh-huh."

Kirsten wandered over to the desk, perching on the edge next to him, and her eyes wandered over the mass of papers that covered it. She watched as Sandy picked up one of the files in front of him and started to flick through it, listening intently to what Rachel was telling him. She could see the clogs of his brain turning. She had always loved to watch him work; he was so intelligent it blew her away sometimes.

Sandy looked up and glanced curiously at her when he noticed her watching him. Kirsten smiled, embarrassed, and dropped her head. Loose strands of her hair fell around her face. Sandy couldn't help but reach his hand out and tuck it behind her ear, running his fingers over her cheek. Kirsten turned her head towards his hand and kissed it softly.

"You know, what, Rachel? I'm gonna look into that and get back to you."

Sandy didn't even wait for Rachel to respond before he snapped his phone shut. He reached for Kirsten's waist and pulled her away from the table so that she fell into his lap. Kirsten rested one arm around his shoulders and her free hand found his.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Kirsten lowered her head to meet Sandy's lips and she kissed him passionately. Sandy raised his hand to cup her face before tangling it in her hair.

"Come to bed," Kirsten whispered, her forehead resting on his.

She saw him hesitate and she kissed him lightly. "Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

Sandy pushed the part of his subconscious that told him he had work to finish to the back of his mind. He was about to answer with a "yes" when his cell phone started to ring again. They both knew who it would be. Kirsten rolled her eyes and reached for the phone before Sandy could, getting up from his lap and hitting the red button to end the call.

"Kirsten…"

The cell phone started to ring again and Sandy moved towards her. Kirsten held the phone behind her and giggled as Sandy tried to reach behind her to take it from her.

"Kirsten!"

Kirsten moved backwards as Sandy advanced towards her, until she hit something solid. Sandy pinned her against the desk, grinning triumphantly as he finally stole the phone from her grasp. He ignored her pout as he flipped it open.

"Rachel, sorry about that. Yeah…"

As Sandy reached to pick up another file, Kirsten lifted herself so that she was sitting on the desk and she wrapped her legs around Sandy's. She grinned mischievously at him, as she ran her fingers around his waist and pulled his shirt out of his trousers.

"Right…ok," Sandy's resolve was weakening as he tried to concentrate on what he was doing.

Kirsten's hands, meanwhile, were wandering up his back and round to his chest, where she slowly started to unbutton his shirt. Sandy knew he could break away from her grasp if he wanted to, but there was something addictive about her touch that he always fell for. She had done this so many times when they were at college, knowing exactly how to break his concentration from studying.

"No, I don't think…so…ah!"

His shirt now hanging open, Kirsten was tracing a line of kisses up his firm abdomen while her hands continued to run up and down his back, occasionally grazing over his ass.

"What? No, everything's fine."

Kirsten ran her lips and tongue over his chest and up his neck, dropping kisses along his jaw line and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him down towards her. Her mouth lingered at his ear.

"If you think you're all man…prove it."

She didn't give him time to respond before she covered his mouth with her own. Sandy finally admitted defeat as he shut his cell phone and dropped it on the desk. He pressed against her as his hands made their way to the front of her robe. He pulled it open and broke away from her lips when he saw the silk nightie she wore underneath. Sandy raised his eyebrows.

Kirsten flashed him her best seductive smile. He didn't need an invitation to go back to kissing her, his hands finding their way inside the robe, grasping at the expensive silk that his wife wore.

The cell phone started to ring again and Kirsten groaned at the persistence of that woman. She picked it up and hit the red button again, before turning it off and tossing it behind her. She turned back to Sandy, whose eyes were moving up and down her body. He found her lips again, his hands holding her firmly against his body. Kirsten tightened the grip of her legs around him as she felt him pushing her back onto the desk.

Pausing suddenly, Sandy cleared the desk of files in one sweeping gesture. Papers flew everywhere, landing in a messy pile on the floor. Kirsten watched in amusement.

"I always wanted to do that," Sandy grinned, before looking around him, realising he was going to regret it in the morning.

Kirsten giggled and Sandy pushed her down onto the desk, leaning over her and kissing her again. Kirsten pushed his shirt off his body, scraping her nails over his skin. Sandy's hands rested on the desk and traced his kisses down her neck while Kirsten moaned gratefully.

No-one touched her like he did; no-one kissed her like he did.

They both heard the front door open and the lively voices of Seth and Ryan pierce the silent house.

"So then we went on it again – and she puked on my shoes!" Seth cried out jubilantly.

"How romantic," Ryan's wry voice replied.

Kirsten groaned in frustration at another interruption as Sandy dragged himself away from her to push the door shut. Kirsten stood up, wrapping her bathrobe back around her body and following him to the door.

"Mom? Dad?" Seth called out for them and Sandy turned back to Kirsten, holding his finger over his mouth to silence her.

"I guess the parental units have already gone to bed. How about a late night game of ninjas?"

They heard Ryan agree and the sound of the television blared out.

"Do you think we can make it to the bedroom without them hearing us?" Sandy said quietly.

Kirsten grinned. "I think we can be stealth."

They came out of the study and Sandy shut the door quietly behind him, hiding the mess they had made from view. They could hear the boys in the family room, jeering at each other as their ninjas fought. They crept up the hallway and finally sought solace in their bedroom. Sandy shut the bedroom door and by the time he turned around, Kirsten had already lost her bathrobe.

Their eyes met and they both smiled. Sandy moved towards her quickly and they lost themselves in each other's kisses. They both conceded that maybe this case wasn't going to be as bad as they thought; because no matter how many arguments it was going to cause, they both knew the making up was going to be fun.


	13. The Perfect Couple

**Thank you to Sunny, Kylie, Panz, Kandy4eva, Kaz, Lauren, Natalie, Jen, ally, Michelle, Aimee, Emz, Cynthia, Mariana and JenJenxx for your reviews.**

**This one is for Michelle. I hope you like it!**

**The Perfect Couple**

Sandy looked down at Kirsten lying next to him. Her eyes were closed but he knew she wasn't sleeping; if she was asleep, her breathing would be calmer and a quiet snore would escape from her. He loved to watch her sleep, the way her face would twitch every now and again and the way she would smile as she dreamt. She always claimed that she couldn't remember her dreams, but sometimes when she woke, she would stare at him, a smile on her face and her eyes full of lust, and she would seduce him in the way only she knew how; and he knew she was dreaming about him.

His mind wandered to earlier that evening at the office, with Rachel. She had made it clear that she wanted something to happen between them. Sandy couldn't deny that Rachel was an attractive woman, but the thought of an affair had never entered his mind. For the past seventeen years, the thought of an affair had never entered his mind. No woman had ever come close to his wife; yet Kirsten had always had a complex about it. He had always urged her to trust him and he had never done anything to let her down.

Beside him, Kirsten sighed. Sandy shifted his body closer to hers, running his hand lightly over her hair and watching her chest rise up and down as she breathed.

"What?"

Sandy grinned. "Nothing."

Kirsten's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him.

"What?" she asked again.

"Nothing," Sandy repeated, lowering his head to kiss her softly.

Kirsten smiled. "Hmm, I'm glad we finally found time to do this."

"Me too."

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" Kirsten asked.

Sandy pulled a face that told her the answer was 'yes' and she frowned.

"But it's Sunday," Kirsten whined.

"I know, honey, but since yesterday's meeting didn't go very well…"

"So you're blaming my dad?"

"Yes," Sandy answered simply.

Kirsten paused and wrinkled her nose. "Works for me."

Sandy laughed and left another kiss on her lips.

"So, your dad and Julie – is it serious?" Sandy asked.

"I don't know and I don't wanna know," Kirsten said. "And I don't care any more."

"Really?" Sandy raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Nope. After the stunt he pulled yesterday, and then the little surprise tonight, I'm done with him," Kirsten said coldly.

Sandy smiled. He had heard Kirsten sever all ties with her father before, but Caleb always managed to find his way back into her affections.

He chuckled to himself. "Your dad and Julie Cooper. _Your dad_ and _Julie Cooper_."

"Ssshh," Kirsten hushed him. "Can we not think about that when we're lying in bed."

"Ok," Sandy laughed.

Kirsten snuggled closer to Sandy and he wrapped his arm around her stomach.

"So, did you talk to Ryan yet?" Kirsten asked.

"Almost," Sandy answered. "He knows 'the talk' is coming."

"You know, he and Marissa seemed really happy tonight," Kirsten mused. "You think he's settling in at school ok?"

"I think he's doing ok. It's gonna take some time for him to get used to that place," Sandy said. "And he's got Seth."

"Hmm. They looked so grown up tonight, Sandy, all dressed up with the girls on their arms," Kirsten smiled.

"Seth took a date too?" Sandy asked. He remembered Ryan telling him that Seth was having girl issues and he couldn't help but feel proud that his son was finally being noticed.

"Yeah, a girl called Anna. She's quite a character, I think she's going to keep him on his toes," Kirsten said, amused.

"Yeah? You think I need to have 'the talk' with Seth too?"

"No!" Kirsten reacted quickly.

Sandy laughed at her shocked expression. Seth was still a baby in her eyes.

"Well, it sounds like he takes after his father in his choice of feisty women," Sandy said.

"Oh yeah?" Kirsten laughed.

"Uh huh," Sandy said, rolling over to pin Kirsten underneath him. "And beautiful…and fun…and passionate."

Sandy spoke between kisses and Kirsten smiled shyly up at him.

"I love you, you know that?" Sandy said.

"I love you too," Kirsten answered. "And I'm sorry, about, you know. About Rachel."

"You know you can trust me, right?" Sandy said.

"I know. I just…I got jealous," Kirsten admitted. "She gets to spend so much time with you and I don't."

"Well, let's make sure we find time to do more of this," Sandy said, lowering his head to kiss her.

Kirsten moaned softly in agreement and ran her hands up his arms, wrapping them around his neck and holding him down towards her.

"And we have our romantic getaway to look forward to," Kirsten smiled. "We can leave this place behind for a few blissful days of peace."

"I like the sound of that," Sandy murmured, kissing her again and tracing his lips along her jawline and down her neck. Kirsten moaned when he hit all the right places as his hands moved up and down her body. She ran her hands over his back and through his hair. She pulled his head back up to her face, finding his lips urgently and kissing him deeply.

"I've missed this," Sandy whispered in her ear as his lips explored her face.

"Me too. Let's not let work get in the way again, huh?" Kirsten spoke softly.

"I promise if you promise," Sandy grinned.

"I promise."

"I promise too."

Kirsten giggled and Sandy smothered her laugh with his lips. She pushed him off and rolled over on top of him. Sandy smiled up at her.

There was definitely no-one like his wife.


	14. The Strip

**I know it's been a long time since I updated this fic. I'll finish it one day. Some ****Kandy**** fluff to make up for it!**

**Thank you to Mariana, Ally, Sunny, Kerry, Shellie, Cynthia, JenJenxx, The Obsessed three, Kylie, Kazzie, Emzzie, Jen, Lauren, Mickey, Anna and Natalie for reviewing the last chapter.**

****

**The Strip**

Kirsten pulled into the driveway to find a black stretch limousine parked outside the house. She shook her head, amused. Seth was really going overboard with this trip.

"I hope that's not on my credit card," Kirsten said as she got out of her car.

Seth and Ryan were stood watching as the chauffeur packed their bags into the car.

"Like I would?" Seth said innocently.

Kirsten laughed.

"Did you guys remember to pack everything? Plenty of clothes, underpants…"

"Mom!"

Kirsten didn't let him interrupt. "…shoes? Did you recharge your cell phone batteries?"

"Why? You're not planning on calling, like, every hour are you?" Seth groaned.

Ryan nudged him and smiled at Kirsten. "Yes, we have everything and yes our cell phone batteries are charged. We'll be fine, honestly."

"I want you guys to stay together in Vegas, ok? No wandering off alone. No drinking, no gambling, _no strippers_," Kirsten ordered them.

Seth and Ryan stood patiently as they were lectured, nodding as Kirsten spoke.

"No strippers for Sandy either. Or my father. In fact, just no strippers, period."

She moved forward to kiss them both on the cheek.

"Where is Sandy, anyway?" Kirsten asked.

"Upstairs," Seth answered. "Tell him to hurry up!"

Kirsten paused. "You two behave yourselves, ok?" she ordered them sternly.

"Scouts' Honour," Seth offered, while Ryan simply nodded.

Kirsten rolled her eyes and looked at Ryan. "Keep him out of trouble, will you?" she asked him.

Ryan laughed and nodded again. "Sure."

Kirsten went inside and up to the bedroom to find Sandy.

"Seth says hurry up," Kirsten said as she walked in.

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying," Sandy said as he zipped up his bag. "Are you gonna be ok with us gone?"

"I'll be fine," Kirsten answered.

"Are you sure? Make sure you keep the doors locked. I'll have my cell phone with me the whole time, call me if you need _anything_," Sandy said, clearly worried about leaving Kirsten home alone.

"I'll be _fine_," Kirsten said again.

Sandy's eyes swept over his wife and an idea came into his head. He moved towards her, wrapping her up in his arms.

"How about we send Seth and Ryan with your father and I'll stay? We'll have the house to ourselves for the weekend," Sandy murmured.

"Seth and Ryan alone in Las Vegas? I don't think so," Kirsten laughed. "Plus, Hailey's here. And don't forget the girls are coming over for Julie's bachelorette party. Do you really want to spend the weekend with the Newpsies?"

"Ok, I'm going," Sandy said. That thought was enough to send him running.

Kirsten laughed, kissing him lightly, before turning serious.

"No strippers," Kirsten ordered.

"How come you're allowed strippers and I'm not?" Sandy asked.

"It's only one stripper, and it's not for me, it's for Julie," Kirsten countered back.

Sandy's eyes danced with mischief. "But honey, it's Vegas!"

"_No strippers_," Kirsten repeated, trying not to smile. She knew Sandy was teasing her. "And don't gamble too much. Look after my father. And keep an eye on the boys."

"Aw, honey, you're gonna ruin _all_ my fun," Sandy laughed.

Kirsten pouted and opened her mouth to object, before Sandy stopped her with another kiss.

"How about we make a deal? No strippers for me…if you promise me my own private show when I get home?" Sandy suggested, looking her up and down playfully.

"Sandy!" Kirsten cried.

"What?" Sandy asked innocently. "It used to be my favourite way to spend a Friday night."

Kirsten blushed as she remembered their college days. "Well, that was before I had a child and developed bumps in all the wrong places."

Sandy shook his head. "You still look perfect to me."

He tightened his arms, leaving a line of kisses down her neck.

"Flattery will get you…everywhere," Kirsten murmured.

"DAD! We're gonna miss the plane if you don't hurry up!" Seth's voice carried through the house.

Sandy groaned and pulled away. Suddenly, he didn't love the Vegas as much.

"I'll miss you," he said.

"Yeah? I'm the one stuck here with Julie Cooper and the Newpsies," Kirsten said.

"And the stripper," Sandy offered in condolence, still grinning.

Kirsten rolled her eyes in amusement. Sandy kissed her lips lightly before grabbing his bag. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kirsten said watching as he hurried downstairs.

A couple of minutes later, Kirsten watched the limousine roll slowly down the road. She wandered back inside and into the kitchen. The house was eerily quiet without the three boys. She poured herself a cup of coffee and settled down on the sofa with a magazine. If she was going to be alone, she might as well make the most of the peace.

The telephone interrupted her. She read the Caller I.D.

_Julie Cooper._

Her peace was over.


	15. The Debut

**Thank you to Kylie, Panz, Natalie, JenJenxx, slinn01, Mickey, Jools, Sunny, ashlified, LaurenDee, Jen, Lauren, Shellie, Cynthia, SoCalGirl3, Mariana and Lauren for reviewing the last chapter.**

**I took a break from the angst to update this fic with a bit of fluff – some gentle persuasion always works with me! ;) Happy birthday to Christine, whenever it may be!**

**Oh, and in case it isn't obvious, this scene is actually set _before_ the episode.**

**The Debut**

"Ok. Thanks Carol. I'll be in touch."

Sandy put the telephone receiver back in its cradle and stared at it for a moment. He sighed and went back to the file that was in front of him. Ryan's file. He didn't like what he read: in and out of trouble with the police since he was ten; truancy; fighting; suspended from school. Ryan was a smart kid, Sandy had known that the moment he had met him, but he had never been given the opportunities to prove himself. Sandy wanted to give Ryan the same start in life that Seth had.

It had been a week since Dawn had gone and Ryan was starting to settle into life in the Cohen house. Sandy could feel a change in his family already. It was more than simply adding another place at the dinner table; it was a whole other life to care about, to take interest in.

Seth was delighted at having a new brother – one that he could play computer games with; one that he could teach about comic books; one that would go down to the pier with him on a sunny afternoon; one he could take sailing.

Sandy loved having another son. Nothing could ever change the way he felt about Seth, but Sandy enjoyed the differences between the two boys. While Seth was chatty and hyperactive, Ryan was quiet and unassuming; and while Seth's interests lay in comic books and music that Sandy had never heard of, Ryan shared his interest in sport.

Kirsten, he knew, was yet to make up her mind about Ryan. She had learnt to trust him and she was starting to care about him, but there was still something holding her back. Sandy only hoped that this latest development would push her forwards.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door and three familiar voices echoed in the hallway.

"So, Ryan, what did you think?" Kirsten asked.

There was a pause before he answered, "I think I liked the last one the best."

"Me too," Sandy could hear his wife's voice smiling. "I'm sorry we didn't get to see all of them, there are some beautiful buildings on the other side of town."

Sandy stood up from his chair and walked over to the doorway, watching the three of them converse. It seemed strange to Sandy to remember what his family had been like before Ryan. He had slipped easily into the way the Cohen family worked: patient of Seth's ramblings, wary of Kirsten's cooking, amused by Sandy's jokes. He didn't know what it was, but Ryan just seemed to fit.

"Oh yeah, dude, one of them is haunted. Oooooh," Seth was saying, his voice carrying a lilt as he tried to sound spooky.

Kirsten merely rolled her eyes. "No, it's not."

Sandy could see Seth about to retaliate until Ryan's low, uncertain voice spoke.

"Maybe we could go again sometime?"

Sandy could see Kirsten's eyes light up in delight, but to Ryan she simply smiled. "Of course."

It was only then that Seth noticed Sandy standing in the entrance of his office.

"Hey Dad!"

Kirsten turned, surprised to see him. "Hey. What are you doing home?"

"I left some work here," Sandy lied. "Where've you guys been?"

"Mom took us on that architectural tour she's been threatening," Seth said.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was really good," Ryan was the first to answer.

"Come on, Ryan, there's battle to be commenced on the playstation," Seth said, bounding into the kitchen for supplies and pulling Ryan behind him. Ryan offered them a small smile before he was dragged away.

Kirsten wandered over to Sandy to greet him properly, planting a kiss on his lips.

"I'm exhausted," Kirsten sighed, leaning against him for support. "If you thought Seth was excitable, try putting up with both of them."

"Ryan was excitable?"

"Well, no," Kirsten said. "But Seth was twice as excitable than normal and I think that was because of Ryan. But he had fun, I think. Ryan, I mean."

"Good."

Kirsten smiled, clearly pleased with the way the day had gone.

"Do you want a drink?" Kirsten offered, pushing herself upright.

"Actually, can you come in here for a minute?"

Kirsten frowned at his serious tone, moving past him into his office. "Is everything ok?"

Sandy cleared his throat. "I was just on the phone to Carol at Social Services."

"About Ryan?"

Sandy nodded. "Having Ryan live with us is more complicated than I first thought."

"More complicated?" Kirsten questioned.

"Maybe complicated is the wrong word," Sandy answered. Realising he had to be straight forward with her, he continued, "For Ryan to live with us, we would have to become his legal guardians."

He waited for Kirsten's reaction as she understood his words.

"Ok."

"This is more than just offering him somewhere to live. It means Ryan would officially become part of the family. We'd be wholly responsible for him – his education, his healthcare. Everything we do for Seth, we'd have to do for Ryan."

"And you think that I don't want that?"

"No," Sandy smiled placidly. "I just want to make sure you know exactly what you're agreeing to before you agree to it."

Kirsten nodded and wandered over to the door, pausing where Sandy had stood only moments ago. She listened to the banter coming from the family room – Seth's voice mostly, with the occasional word from Ryan.

"He's still nervous around me," Kirsten said softly.

"You're still nervous around him," Sandy countered back.

Kirsten smiled. He knew her too well. She fell silent.

"He needs us, Sandy," Kirsten said eventually. "And I…I like him. But it's more than that."

She paused, listening to the laughter that floated through the house.

"He just…kinda…fits."

As she echoed the same thoughts that he'd had, Sandy wondered if he could love her any more than he did right now.

"Something tells me it's going to be an eventful ride," Kirsten mused.

She waited for Sandy's reply, frowning when he was quiet. She moved to turn around and as she did, she felt his arms encircle her waist.

"I love you," Sandy whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Kirsten smiled and covered his hands with her own.

"I love you too."

Sandy's lips found her skin and he left a flurry of kisses down her neck. Kirsten murmured appreciatively and spun around to face him, her back leaning against the door frame. Sandy leant in towards her, kissing her deeply, and Kirsten ran her hands up his muscular arms, cupping his face. Sandy manoeuvred them into his office, closing the door behind them and pinning Kirsten lightly against the solid wood. He embraced her in another kiss.

The sound of Seth's voice calling for them carried through the house. Ignoring his son's cries, Sandy kept his wife pinned against the back of his office door. He grinned at her.

"I think we're gonna have to keep the doors closed more often from now on."


	16. The Homecoming

**Long time no update, I know! I'm updating this when I get the whim.**

**Thank you to katwoman76, Sunny, Natalie, Mickey, Mariana, Cynthia, Panz, ChaseII, JenJenxx, beachtree, Lauren, Fighting-this-War, Jen, Jenn and Kylie for reviewing the last chapter!**

**This is for Sunny. :)**

**The Homecoming**

It was late. Sandy was sprawled out on the sofa in the family room, watching an old movie on TV. Everyone else was in bed: Kirsten was nursing a hangover, Seth was moping over his girl troubles and Ryan was sporting a black eye that he was being very secretive over. It had been on odd Thanksgiving and one that Sandy wasn't ready to repeat any time soon. He snuggled deeper into the soft cushions, his feet propped up on the table in front of him.

He thought about Kirsten. She had started the day so excited and he had watched her slowly spiral downwards as the alcohol had taken effect. He knew she had been feeling pressure to make it a special thanksgiving for Ryan and the day had started with a lot of promise; but with the interruption of Trey's phone call, and then Caleb arriving uninvited, she had slowly cracked. She was now passed out in bed and he knew she would be suffering from a hangover tomorrow. He sometimes wondered if he should be worried about her drinking; not the amount she drank, although that could sometimes cause him concern, but the _reasons _she had for drinking. She was a Newpsie and drinking was part of the lifestyle, but not when she used it to escape her problems. He had seen it before and he shrugged it off. It had been a strange day for her. He trusted her and she wasn't the type of person who would let things get out of control.

He thought about Seth. He had changed so much in the six months since Ryan had arrived. The once shy loner now had two girls chasing him. Despite his concerns about Seth's games, he was pleased with the way his son had blossomed this year. His confidence had grown and he was more outspoken, but he was still the same quick-witted sarcastic boy that he had always been. He laughed as he remembered the scenario that had taken place in the kitchen as Summer and Anna had discovered his secret. It was a familiar situation to Sandy – he remembered a similar event happening when he was barely fifteen, when he had lived in New York and his life had been so different to the one he led now. He was glad those days were over.

He though about Ryan. He remembered the relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen earlier that morning as they had tried to stop Kirsten from cooking and how that had changed suddenly when Trey had called. He knew it was wrong, but Sandy had lied when he told Ryan it would be good to see his brother. The truth was, he didn't want Ryan to be reminded of his old life. He wanted that life to be behind him and it had been a surprise realisation that it wasn't as Ryan had left earlier. When Ryan had returned with a bruised face, Sandy's worries had been confirmed. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop Ryan from visiting his brother again, but he knew he didn't want him to – not if he was going to end up in trouble. Ryan had settled into the family quickly. There were four of them now and it was as if it was the way it was supposed to be.

A noise from the hallway disturbed him and he looked up to see Kirsten softly padding down the hall and into the family room. She didn't speak as she dropped down on the sofa next to him, only letting out a small moan as she fell slightly against his body, tucking herself under his arm and resting her head on his chest. Sandy smiled, amused.

"How are you feeling?"

Kirsten simply grunted in response and Sandy chuckled.

"Is Ryan home?" Kirsten asked.

"Yeah, he's in the poolhouse," Sandy answered.

"Is he ok?"

Sandy paused, unsure whether to tell her about his bruised face. He looked down at her tired face, her eyes closed as she coped with her hangover, and decided against it. There would be time to talk about it tomorrow, when Kirsten was ready to hear it and Ryan was ready to talk about it.

"Yeah, he's ok," Sandy lied.

"Did he say much about his brother?" Kirsten enquired.

"Not really," Sandy said. It was true – Ryan had been purposely vague about what had happened in Chino and Sandy had restrained from interrogating him for now. "Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"Depends," Kirsten said. "What did I say?"

"About Ryan. About how you'd got used to him being a part of the family," Sandy reminded her.

Kirsten's brow furrowed slightly as she remembered, lifting herself so that she was looking up at Sandy. "Yeah, I did. Don't you feel the same? It's like, sometimes, I can't remember what it was like when it was just the three of us. I mean, I have memories of me, you and Seth – of course – but I'm talking about just normal day-to-day life."

She shrugged her shoulders and looked towards Sandy, waiting for a response. Sandy smiled and cupped her face, bending down to kiss her. When he pulled away, Kirsten was smiling.

"What was that for?"

Sandy shook his head. "No reason," he murmured, loving her innocence. Any doubts that he'd had – about bringing Ryan into the family, disturbing their family life and turning their world upside down – had been dispersed with those few words. He hadn't really needed to ask; he could see it, not only by Kirsten's actions but Ryan's as well. Ryan was no longer too shy to join in the fun as they had teased her earlier. He was a part of the family now.

Kirsten reached her face up to kiss him lightly, before snuggling back down against his body again.

"Maybe we should talk to him tomorrow? About what happened?" Kirsten suggested.

"I think that sounds like a very good idea," Sandy mused, masking his concern.

"Do you think he's happy here?" Kirsten wondered out loud.

"What makes you say that?" Sandy asked.

"I just wonder sometimes. I still feel like I'm getting to know him, you know? Where as you and Seth, you seem to know what he's thinking. I don't have that yet," Kirsten said.

Sandy smoothed her hair, planting a kiss on her head. "I think you know more than you realise. And yes, I think he's happy here."

"That's good."

They fell quiet, each caught up in their own thoughts for a moment, until Kirsten broke the silence.

"What about Seth? Did he figure out his girl issues yet?" Kirsten laughed.

"I actually think he's feeling sorry for himself," Sandy chuckled. "Turns out our son is a little lothario."

"Hmm, I think he must get that from you," Kirsten said.

"Why, thank you," Sandy said.

Kirsten giggled, pummelling his chest lightly. "We shouldn't joke. Didn't we teach our son to grow up to respect women?"

"Ah, honey, he's sixteen," Sandy dismissed her concerns lightly.

"Yeah, but still, I think you should talk to him," Kirsten said.

"Why me?"

"Because! You're his father," Kirsten explained.

"Doesn't being his father mean I'm supposed to teach him about sex? You're his mom, aren't you supposed to instil morals on him?" Sandy teased.

"You think he's sleeping with both of them?" Kirsten sat upright, alarmed.

"No," Sandy reassured her, laughing at her terrified expression. "I don't think he's sleeping with either of them."

Kirsten breathed a sigh of relief. "I still think we should talk to him."

Sandy nodded. "We will. We'll talk to both of them tomorrow."

He watched as Kirsten stretched her body out.

"What are you going to do about your dad?" he asked cautiously. It had been her father's arrival at the house that had led her to break open the second bottle of wine.

Kirsten sighed. "I don't know. I guess I can't avoid him forever, can I?"

Sandy tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "He is your boss," he said. "_And_ your father."

Kirsten groaned as she tried to figure out which was the lesser of the two evils.

"I think, right now, you should get some sleep," Sandy told her, kissing her forehead gently. Kirsten lifted her head towards him and he kissed her lips again.

Kirsten dropped down, pulling a cushion across his lap and resting her head on it, her hands loosely hanging across his thighs.

"I thought you were gonna go rest?" Sandy asked, amused.

"I am," Kirsten smiled, closing her eyes and letting sleep take over.

Sandy pulled the blanket down from the back of the sofa and covered her body, his hand rubbing her back as she let out a quiet snore.

Things were changing…and some things were the same as they had always been.


	17. The LA

**Thank you to Famous99, Sunny, Panz, Somebody's Dark Angel, Cynthia, ChaseII, FoxyWombat, Ally, beachtree, Jen and goldenshadows for your reviews of the last chapter. I've been watching my season 1 DVD recently and felt inspired to write this. I hope you like it!**

**The L.A.**

Kirsten stared at the mass of brown hair that cascaded across the pillow, hiding the face underneath. Hailey had always had long hair, since she was a little girl. Kirsten remembered the times when she was small and she had read her a story, coaxing her to sleep, her hand running through the delicate strands; she remembered when Hailey had begged for her help to fix her hair before her first date; she remembered the night of her cotillion and the hours she spent putting curls into it. She remembered the day their mother had died and how she had held Hailey in her arms, the smell of her shampoo bringing the only bit of comfort to her.

Kirsten ran her hand over her brown hair now, soft and newly washed. She couldn't help but bend down and kiss the top of her head as her sister slept, exhausted after what Kirsten guessed to be an eventful night. She still didn't have the details of what had really happened. She wasn't sure how much she wanted to know.

She left the room quietly and wandered downstairs. The house was silent. Sandy was lounging in the family room, his head tipped back against the back of the sofa and his eyes closed. Kirsten dropped a kiss on his forehead before coming around the sofa and settling down next to him, hooking her legs over his.

"Where's Hailey?" Sandy asked.

"Sleeping," Kirsten answered. She paused as Sandy nodded his head slowly. "She wasn't really working in Turks and Caicos, was she?"

Sandy looked her squarely in the eyes, realising that he couldn't lie to her.

"The boys found working as a stripper in L.A." he answered.

Kirsten sighed heavily, dropping her head. _Why did Hailey always get herself into such a mess? Why couldn't she ever…_

Her head jerked up suddenly. "Wait! The boys were at a _strippers_ club?"

Sandy chuckled at her. "I don't think they got in any trouble. In fact, I think they actually behaved themselves for once."

Kirsten smiled half-heartedly. "That's good."

Sandy noticed her distraction. "You're worried about Hailey?" Sandy frowned.

Kirsten shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I'm always worried about her. She always gets herself in trouble and there doesn't seem like there's anything I can do to help her."

"You don't have to always be the one to help her, you know," Sandy said.

"Well, who else will if I don't?" Kirsten questioned.

"What about your dad? She's his daughter. Maybe it's time he took responsibility for her?" Sandy commented.

Kirsten shook her head. "Hailey's his little girl. He's already pushed her away once, he won't do it again."

"So…you want Hailey to stay here?"

Kirsten looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "She doesn't have anywhere else to go. She doesn't have anyone else to help her."

"Do you remember what happened the last time she stayed with us?" Sandy asked. Kirsten could hear the reluctance in his voice.

"Please, Sandy. I really think things will be different this time."

Sandy glanced sideways at her, disbelievingly.

"Please," she begged again.

"What about you? I don't want her here if she's going to stress you out," Sandy said.

"It'll stress me out more not knowing where she is or what she's doing. I'd rather have her here, with me," Kirsten answered.

Sandy paused, then sighed, giving in. "If she eats all the bagels again…"

Kirsten smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, nudging her nose against his ear and kissing his cheek. Sandy turned his head, catching her lips with his own and kissing her softly.

"I'll stock up on bagels," Kirsten promised.

She tilted her head back, studying him for a moment. He looked tired himself.

"Are you ok? About tonight?" she asked.

Sandy shrugged. "You were right. If we want this restaurant to work, we don't have much choice."

Kirsten ran her fingers through his hair. "You know, you could have just let me help you."

Sandy smiled. "It's my happy place, remember?"

"You don't seem very happy," Kirsten commented.

"I am. I mean, your dad agreed to let me and Jimmy do it our way," Sandy said, trying to muster enthusiasm.

"But?"

"I don't know," Sandy sighed. "I guess…I just don't trust him. I'm sorry, I know he's your dad, but I don't."

Kirsten was silent. She didn't have energy to defend her father.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" she offered.

"No," Sandy said quickly. He touched her face lightly. "I appreciate it, but I've been fighting your father for as long as I've known you. I know how to handle him."

He lifted her chin with his finger and kissed her again.

"You look tired," Kirsten said. "Let's go to bed, huh?"

"Yeah. Big day tomorrow," Sandy said, accepting her hand as she lifted him from his seat.

Kirsten grunted in response. "Don't remind me."

"Ah, come on, it won't be so bad," Sandy said.

Kirsten rolled her eyes. "Sandy, your mother's coming to town. I think I might spend the next week in bed."

"Ah honey, don't tease."


	18. The Rivals

**Thank you to Sunny, Cynthia, Sharkie2008, Kazzie, Anna, Christine, Jen, storymom and i love kandy** **18 for reviewing the last chapter. **

**I hope everyone had a good Christmas/holiday and I wish you all a very happy new year!**

**The Rivals**

Sandy had a skip in his step when he arrived home, upbeat after signing the contract to buy the Lighthouse. He felt excited for the first time in months. He was determined to make it a success – not only to help Jimmy, but to show the people of Newport what it meant to have a good time. It would be a place where people would come to relax, to drink dirty martinis and forget about the petty gossip that filled the town. A place that gave Newport a little bit of _him_.

Delighted to see Kirsten's car in the driveway, he took the steps two at a time up to the front door. He headed straight to the kitchen, where he found Kirsten nursing a cup of coffee in her hands, standing at the kitchen island reading the newspaper. She looked up, surprised to see him looking so happy when he had left the house that morning so disheartened.

"Hey," she started, cut off as Sandy came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, leaving a wet kiss on her neck.

"You're home," Sandy stated happily.

Kirsten rolled her eyes as she thought about Julie getting settled in her new job. "I had to get out the office. You're happy?" she questioned curiously, turning to face him.

Sandy nodded. "Jimmy and I just signed the title on the Lighthouse."

"I thought Jimmy changed his mind?" Kirsten said, her eyebrows raised.

"He changed it again," Sandy answered. "The Lighthouse is officially ours."

Kirsten smiled at the way his eyes lit up. She had missed this side of him. Working for the corporate suits had dampened his spirit lately and she missed the husband that used to talk animatedly about his work. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well then, I think we should celebrate," Kirsten grinned.

"What did you have in mind?" Sandy questioned, planting a kiss on her lips.

Kirsten giggled. "There's a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge."

"Bedroom?"

"Bedroom."

Their lips met again in a passionate kiss. Kirsten definitely liked having this Sandy back.

Sandy groaned when the shrill ring of the telephone echoed around the kitchen.

"It could be about the restaurant," he squirmed, thinking he should answer.

"Or, it could be the office and in that case, we should ignore it," Kirsten grimaced.

Sandy frowned. "Why are you avoiding work?"

Kirsten cocked her head to one side. "Why do you think?"

"Julie?" Sandy gasped.

Kirsten nodded slowly. "Turns out my dad likes the simplistic approach to interior design."

Sandy kissed her temple sympathetically and they both turned their heads to stare at the phone. Sandy was the first give in and he let go of his wife, walking over to where the phone sat in its cradle.

"If it's my dad or Julie, tell them I've moved – to Australia," Kirsten told him.

Sandy laughed, picking the phone. "Sandy Cohen."

His face fell as he listened to the voice on the other end. "We'll be right there."

"What's wrong?" Kirsten asked immediately. Her first concern were the boys – _were they ok? Had something happened to them?_

"Ryan's been suspended from school for fighting with Oliver," Sandy said, his expression a mixture of shock and disappointment.

"He's what?" Kirsten sighed.

"We need to go to the school to pick him up," Sandy said.

Kirsten started towards the door, picking up the car keys on the way. Sandy didn't move, except to lean against the kitchen counter. Kirsten paused as she passed him.

"Sandy, are you coming?"

When he lifted his head, she was surprised to see how sad he looked. "Sandy?"

"I think…I think it would be best if I waited for you here. Can you go by yourself?" Sandy said quietly.

"Why?" Kirsten asked, taking a step towards him.

He sighed heavily. "I'm just so angry with him. He was supposed to stay out of trouble at Harbour and we asked him not to do anything stupid over this Oliver kid, and now he's gone and got himself suspended from school. I just don't want to end up saying something I might regret."

Kirsten nodded. She knew her husband well enough to know that she couldn't force him to do something he didn't want to do. She moved towards him, kissing his hair.

"I won't be long," she said, rubbing his back.

Sandy watched her leave, hearing the front door close behind her. He dropped his head and closed his eyes, exhausted by the constant worry that he seemed to feel these days. He had known that bringing Ryan into the family wouldn't be easy; that they would all need time to adjust to the new dynamic. What he didn't understand was why Ryan didn't trust him enough to listen to him, or talk to him when he was troubled, instead of using his fists. Sandy had tried so hard to let him know that he was there any time he needed someone to listen, but he felt like it wasn't enough.

It frustrated him. Ryan was so different from Seth, and Sandy was still learning how to deal with him. He had tried the hard approach earlier, and Ryan had grown defensive, questioning their motives towards him. There was no doubt in Sandy's mind that Ryan was a part of their family now, and families talked to each other – but how could he teach Ryan that?

* * *

Ryan barely spoke when Kirsten picked him up and he didn't dare to lift his eyes to meet hers. She sighed inwardly at his silence, hating the way he was so guarded with his thoughts. She had seen the surprise in his face when she had arrived at the school alone, her heart sinking for him when he realised that Sandy hadn't come with her. She had dealt with the formalities with Dr Kim quickly and she watched him now as she drove home, his head leaning against the window as he watched the passing scenery.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, Kirsten was the first to speak.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

"Would you believe me if I told you?" Ryan was quick to react, immediately regretting his angry words.

Kirsten raised her eyebrows. She hadn't expected that reaction – but she was glad she had _some_ reaction from him. "Is this about Marissa?"

He scowled. "It's not what you think."

"Then tell me," Kirsten urged him.

"He wound me up," Ryan admitted. "He was saying things – about Marissa – and I lost my temper."

"You don't like him?" Kirsten questioned.

"No, I don't," Ryan said honestly. "But it's more than that. I don't trust him. You heard about his history with girls."

Kirsten nodded.

"It's like everyone feels sorry for him and no-one can see past that to see what he's really like," Ryan said, irritated.

"But why fight him? How did you think that was going to help?" Kirsten asked him.

"I don't know," Ryan sighed. "I wasn't thinking."

He fell silent, knowing that he had disappointed his foster parents once again. Sandy couldn't even face him to pick him up from school. Ryan wished that the journey home would go slowly, because he wasn't looking forward to facing him. It didn't, and they were soon pulling into the driveway. Kirsten looked towards him, sensing his nervousness. She understood it, nervous herself about the greeting they would receive from Sandy.

Kirsten led the way into the house. Sandy was still in the kitchen, now perched on a stool at the end of the kitchen island. He looked up wearily as they came into the kitchen. Ryan approached him cautiously, uncertain as to his reaction.

"What did Dr Kim say?" Sandy addressed Kirsten.

"Suspended until further notice. It has to go to the disciplinary committee," Kirsten answered. She looked towards Ryan, who was hanging back. "Ryan, why don't you go out to the poolhouse and unpack your school things."

It was an excuse – she knew it, Ryan knew it and Sandy knew it. But Ryan accepted it gratefully, shuffling out of the kitchen. Kirsten went to Sandy's side.

"I wish you'd talk to him," she said. "This silent treatment isn't helping."

"I just don't know if there's anything left to say," Sandy sighed.

"Of course there is," Kirsten said.

"I've tried, Kirsten. He doesn't want to listen to me," Sandy said bitterly.

"Are you sure that's the reason?" Kirsten asked.

"What do you mean?" Sandy frowned.

"I mean, maybe you're scared. Because I know I am. I'm scared that he's going to get expelled from Harbour, and social services are going to find out, and they're going to have every reason to take him away from us. So maybe the reason you're so upset is because you care more than you realised."

Sandy wondered when his wife had become so wise. He leant into her, burying his head into the fabric of her shirt. Kirsten bent down and kissed the top of his head, before pulling away and throwing him the car keys.

"Ok, go."

"Go where?" Sandy raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Surfing. That's what you really want to do right now, isn't it?"

Sandy smiled. She knew him too well. "What about our celebrations?"

"It can wait," Kirsten said, ruffling his hair.

Sandy stood up from his stool and kissed her. "Thanks."

A few hours caught up in the water would clear his head. The spray of the ocean, the salty air and the sound of the crashing waves would help him. It always did.

But he knew one thing: he wasn't giving up on Ryan; not now they had come this far.


	19. The Third Wheel

**I'm sorry it's a short one, it's been a while since I wrote fanfiction. Be kind. :-)**

**For Patty.**

**The Third Wheel**

The Golden Girls marathon played in the background as Kirsten started to tidy up the mess left over from the evening's entertainment. Sandy had already called her on his way home from the police station. She had been relieved to hear that Ryan was safe although her mind was busy with questions, in particular when it came to Oliver. As much as she trusted Seth and Ryan – to the extent that any mother could trust her 16-year-old sons – Kirsten was worried about this boy's influence. Rock concerts, drugs… Sandy had teased her earlier when she had voiced her concerns, although he had allowed himself to be badgered into speaking to Seth about drugs before he left for the evening. She wasn't happy that she had been proved right.

Besides, it was a mother's prerogative to worry about her children. Kirsten had learnt quickly that Ryan had a habit of getting involved in trouble, something that she was not used to with Seth.

_It was, however, something she was used to when it came to Hailey_, Kirsten thought as she reached out to collect the scattered Connect 4 pieces that were still on the floor following Hailey's earlier tantrum.

She sighed inwardly, wondering what she was going to do about her younger sister. They had never been close as sisters growing up, except for those few months when their mother had been ill, but Kirsten had always thought that somewhere down the line they would discover that sisterly bond that other people always talked about. Every now and again Kirsten would feel like they were starting to connect but, as Sandy pointed out, this was usually during a shopping trip when Hailey would keep Kirsten's credit card busy. It was never long before another argument broke out between them.

Like tonight. Even a simple evening of games could not be enjoyed without a few spiteful words from Hailey. Kirsten wished that Hailey's comments had not upset her the way they did and she pondered as to why. It felt like she had spent a lot of time in the last year explaining her decision to stay in Newport and work for her father. Just a few months earlier at her father's birthday, she and Sandy had had the same conversation. Kirsten was tired of justifying herself. Was life really that bad here in Newport? She knew that Sandy didn't care for the shallow lifestyle that the Newpsies enjoyed and she knew that Seth had struggled to fit in at school, but things were starting to change and they were happy, weren't they?

The truth was, Kirsten didn't like to think about what life might have been like if they had gone back to Berkeley after her mother's death. Maybe she would have opened that art gallery she used to dream about; maybe she and Sandy would have had more children; maybe – and this was the 'maybe' that Kirsten didn't like to think about – maybe they would have been happier.

_But, back in Berkeley there would be no Ryan_, she countered in her mind. It was one of many excuses that Kirsten had collected.

Kirsten heard the front door open as Sandy and Ryan arrived home, and she was grateful for the distraction from her thoughts before she too became discontent with her life. She threw the remainder of the Connect 4 pieces into the box and tidied it away with the other games.

"Are you ok?" Kirsten asked Ryan before he or Sandy had chance to speak.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Oliver was the one they were after."

She looked between Sandy and Ryan. "What happened at the police station?"

"Nothing. I managed to persuade them to let Oliver go," Sandy said.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Kirsten questioned out loud. Sandy shrugged as he sat down onto the sofa, while Ryan dropped his head, unsure how to answer.

"Where's Seth?" Kirsten asked, changing the subject.

"I called him from the car, he's on his way home with the girls," Sandy answered.

Kirsten nodded, satisfied that he would soon be home safe. She turned her attention back to Ryan. "Do you want anything? Something to eat or drink?"

"No, thanks. I think I'm just gonna wait for Seth in the pool house," Ryan said, gesturing towards the back door. "Thanks guys. And I'm sorry, you know, for ruining your evening."

Sandy grunted. Kirsten glared at him as she dismissed Ryan's apology. "You didn't ruin anything."

She watched as he walked out the door towards the pool house.

"Is everything really ok?" Kirsten asked once Ryan was out of earshot.

Sandy nodded. "It is for Ryan."

"And the other boy?" Kirsten questioned. "Oliver?"

Sandy shrugged again. "He's living in a hotel room on his own while his parents are out of town for the month. It's going to take more than keeping me out of trouble with the police to make things ok for him."

"I don't like the idea of the boys spending time with him," Kirsten said, sitting down next to Sandy on the sofa.

"I know, me neither," Sandy agreed. "But I don't think encouraging the boys to walk away from this kid is going to be good for him. If anything, he needs friends around him."

"He needs his _parents_ around him," Kirsten commented. "And I don't want him getting our kids in trouble."

"Do you really want to get involved with this kid?" Sandy challenged. "Look, I understand why you're worried, but I trust our boys. I mean, Ryan knew to call us tonight, didn't he? I don't think Oliver means any harm, I think he's just a very lonely kid. We'll keep an eye on him."

"Ok," Kirsten agreed.

"Ok?"

Kirsten nodded. She may not trust Oliver, but she trusted her husband. She lifted his arm and curled up against his body, resting her head on his chest.

"Alone at last, huh?" she mumbled.

"Hmm. Any sign of Hailey?" Sandy asked.

"Nope," Kirsten sighed. "I think I'm gonna save that conversation until tomorrow."

"I meant what I said. Something's gotta change if she's going to stay here," Sandy said.

"Sandy…"

"I'm serious."

Kirsten moved away from him, running her fingers through her hair. "Look, I know this evening didn't go the way we planned…"

"Yeah, spending the evening listening to my wife reminisce with her ex-boyfriend wasn't exactly what I was hoping for when I wanted some time alone with you," Sandy muttered.

"Hey! I didn't want this either."

Sandy looked away, annoyed; not at Kirsten, but at the way the evening had gone. These were not the 'moments' he had wished for.

"I thought we'd got past all this?" Kirsten said pointedly. "Jimmy's a part of my past; he always will be. But don't the last _twenty years _we've spent together prove anything to you?"

Sandy grumbled, knowing he was defeated by her arguments. Kirsten nudged him, feigning annoyance. Sandy grabbed her, pulling her in for a kiss. Kirsten relented and smiled through the kiss.

"The evening's not over, you know," she grinned. "Have you got time for a few more _moments_?"


End file.
